Merchants of Andromeda

About this board game

Merchants of Andromeda is a space-politics board game for 3–5 players, played in about 90 minutes. In this 2025 release, players compete to finish with the most money while navigating Senate votes, lucrative space goods, and ship combat.

At the start of your turn, draw three cards one at a time. Each card presents a meaningful choice: discard it to gain a resource, keep it to gain an action, or auction it so the winner receives both an action and a resource.

Auctions use a Dutch-auction system driven by either a timer or the game’s dedicated app. As the timer ticks down, the amount the winner pays becomes smaller, creating a push-and-pull between securing a valuable card and waiting for a better price.

• Cast votes in the Senate and engage in space politics.
• Bid on valuable space goods.
• Manipulate the market through card play.
• Play intergalactic mini-games and resolve events.
• Choose ship combat when rivalry escalates.

Every card can influence your position in a different way, so deciding what to do with each draw is central to your plans. Taking an action may advance your strategy, while discarding can provide the resource you need; auctioning gives opponents a chance to compete for the same opportunity.

With its combination of voting, bidding, market manipulation, events, and timed auctions, Merchants of Andromeda puts your judgment under pressure throughout the game. Balance immediate gains against the cost of competition, and build the strongest path to wealth before the final scores are settled.