Istanbul: Choose & Write

About this board game

Istanbul: Choose & Write is a 1–5 player board game with a play time of about 45 minutes, set in the bustling Istanbul Bazaar. Players become shrewd merchants competing to gather goods and lira, then trade them for the precious rubies needed to win.

Instead of using a shared set of locations in the center of the table, each player has a personal bazaar in front of them. This individual game plan is represented by a tracking sheet where players mark their choices as the game unfolds.

On each turn, a player must choose whether to play a Location card or a Guild card. Location cards let all merchants perform the action of the specified location, or the action of an adjacent space on their own sheet. This creates opportunities for everyone while making each marked bazaar important to consider.

If a player would rather stop the other merchants from taking this follow action, they can play a Guild card instead. Guild cards are expensive, but they trigger powerful effects, offering a compelling alternative to sharing a location action.

• Mark choices on a personal bazaar tracking sheet.
• Choose between Location cards and powerful, costly Guild cards.
• Gather goods and lira, then trade them for rubies.
• Visit familiar locations including the Large Market and Gemstone Dealer.

Fans of the Istanbul game series will recognize familiar elements, but the innovative choose-and-write mechanism gives this bazaar visit a new shape. Istanbul: Choose & Write challenges players to balance shared opportunities, personal planning, and the timing of powerful Guild effects.