Century: Spice Road

2017

Century: Spice Road is an exciting strategy game, where players become caravan leaders, establish trade routes, and compete for victory points on the historic silk road.

45
minutes

2 - 5
player(s)

Medium Light

About the game

Century: Spice Road is an enchanting and engaging board game that transports players to the vibrant and bustling markets of the ancient spice trade. This immersive game is set against the backdrop of the 15th century, where you’ll sail the high seas and traverse daunting deserts in pursuit of the most valuable spices in the world.

As a player, you will assume the role of a seasoned caravan leader. Your task is to trade and manipulate your spice supplies efficiently to secure wealth and fame. With each successful trade and clever navigation, you’ll carve your legacy as the most respected and prosperous merchant in the spice road.

Game components Unboxing the fun!

In the ‘Century: Spice Road’ board game, there are several key components that players interact with throughout the game. These components work together to create a dynamic and strategic gaming experience.

1. Spice Bowls:

Century: Spice Road includes four spice bowls, each containing a different type of spice: yellow (turmeric), red (saffron), green (cardamom), and brown (cinnamon). These spices are the primary resources in the game, which players acquire and exchange to complete trade and scoring cards.

2. Spice Cubes:

There are 100 spice cubes in total, 20 for each of the four types of spices. These cubes represent the actual spices that players collect in their caravans and trade to fulfill the requirements of the cards.

3. Player Boards (Caravans):

Each player receives a caravan card, which serves as their personal storage for spices throughout the game. A caravan can hold up to 10 spice cubes. Managing your caravan effectively is key to success in the game.

4. Merchant Cards:

The game contains 36 merchant cards. These cards are used by players to trade and acquire spices. Each card specifies a particular trade action, such as “trade 2 yellow spices for 1 red and 1 green spice”. Merchant cards are critical tools for players to build up their spice resources.

5. Point (Scoring) Cards:

Century: Spice Road includes 45 point cards. These cards have a spice cost and a point value. Players can purchase these cards using their spices, which are then added to their score. The goal of the game is to earn the most points by acquiring these cards.

6. Coins:

There are also coins in the game, which are bonus points. The gold coins are worth 3 points each, and the silver coins are worth 1 point each. They are given to players who are the first or second to claim certain point cards.

7. Starting Player Marker:

The last component is the starting player marker. This is passed around to indicate who is the current first player. This player begins each round and the marker is rotated clockwise at the end of every round.

Game setup Lay it out, line it up, let’s go

‘Century: Spice Road’ is a strategy card game that tests your trading skills. The game is designed for 2-5 players. Here is the step-by-step guide to setting up the game:

Step One: Setting up the Market Cards

Firstly, prepare the market cards. Shuffle the Merchant Cards and deal 6 of them face up in a row in the middle of the table. This forms the market. Place the remaining Merchant Cards in a deck next to the market. This will serve as the supply.

Step Two: Preparing the Point Cards

Shuffle the Point Cards separately. Then, place five of them face up above the market row. The remaining Point Cards form a deck placed next to the face-up Point Cards.

Step Three: Distributing Starting Hands

Every player gets a unique starting deck – two cards marked with a caravan and two cards marked with a single spice (turmeric). The color of the caravan does not matter and is a purely aesthetic choice.

Step Four: Setting up the Caravans and Spices

Each player receives a set of caravans and a set of spice cubes. The caravans are used to store the spices a player owns. Each player can own a maximum of 10 spices at any time. The spices include yellow (turmeric), red (saffron), green (cardamom), and brown (cinnamon).

Step Five: Preparing the Gold and Silver Coins

Place the gold and silver coins in separate piles next to the market. They are bonus points for players who are the first or the second to claim certain Point Cards.

Step Six: Determining the First Player

The youngest player goes first. The play continues clockwise.

Random Elements

As with any game, there are elements of randomness. The specific Market and Point Cards available will change with each game. The order in which they are drawn is also random. However, strategic decision-making can mitigate the impact of this randomness.

Now, you are ready to embark on your journey down the Century: Spice Road!

Game flow Round and round we go

Century: Spice Road is a card-based strategy game where players act as spice merchants trading and upgrading their spices to fulfill demand cards for points. The game continues over a series of rounds until a player has collected their fifth gold or silver coin, after which the game ends and the player with the most points wins.

The game operates in rounds, with each player taking one action on their turn. The available actions are as follows:

Play a card from your hand: This is how you acquire and trade spices. The card will specify what spices you gain and/or what you can trade.
Acquire a Merchant card: These are the cards that allow you to acquire and trade spices. To acquire a card, you place cubes on the Merchant cards to the left of the one you want, moving the other cards to the right. The number of cubes required depends on the position of the card.
Rest: This action allows you to pick up all the cards you have played back into your hand.
Claim a Point card: When you have the required spices, you can trade them in for a Point card. These cards also come with a gold or silver coin, depending on their position.

There are no set phases within a round; players may choose any one of the four actions on their turn. The turn then passes to the next player in clockwise order.

Play continues in this way until a player has claimed their fifth Point card with a gold or silver coin. The game then ends immediately and the player with the most points from their Point cards and coins is declared the winner.

If there is a tie, the player with the most leftover spices in their caravan (the player’s storage area for spices) wins. If there is still a tie, the player who claimed the first Point card wins.

Players'turn One turn to rule them all

In Century: Spice Road, each player’s turn is filled with strategic decisions and possible actions that impact the overall gameplay. Players must carefully select the most beneficial moves to gather and trade resources, as well as acquire and play merchant cards. Here is a detailed breakdown of what happens during a player’s turn:

1. Play a Card from Hand

A player may choose to play a card from their hand. There are two main types of cards in Century: Spice Road: Conversion cards and Upgrade cards. Conversion cards allow players to exchange their spices for different ones, while Upgrade cards let players upgrade their spices to more valuable types.

2. Acquire a Merchant Card

A player can acquire a merchant card to add to their hand. This card can be from either the open marketplace row or the top of the deck. If a player decides to take a card from the marketplace row, they must place a spice cube on each card they skip over, providing a potential bonus for other players who pick up those cards later.

3. Rest

If a player has no cards left in their hand, or wants to refresh their hand, they can choose to rest. This allows them to pick up all the cards they have played and add them back into their hand to use again in future turns.

4. Claim a Point Card

If a player has enough spices of the correct type and quantity, they can trade them in to claim a point card. These cards are key to winning the game, as the player with the most points at the end of the game is declared the winner. It’s important to note that while claiming a point card is a beneficial move, it also ends a player’s turn immediately.

The strategic choices made during a player’s turn in Century: Spice Road significantly affect gameplay. Players must strike a balance between gathering and trading spices, acquiring and playing the right cards, and claiming point cards at the right time. Every decision can help shape the player’s strategy and determine the outcome of the game.

End of the game All good games must come to an end

Century: Spice Road is a strategy game where players trade and manage resources to acquire points. The game ends when a player makes a specific move, triggering the game’s conclusion and the final scoring.

Game End Trigger

The game of Century: Spice Road concludes when a player purchases their fifth point card (sixth for two-player games). This player’s turn ends as usual, but this action signals the final round of the game. Each player, including the one who triggered the end game, gets one more turn.

Victory Conditions

The player with the most points at the end of the game wins. Points are accumulated through the acquisition of point cards and bonus coins. Here are the details:

Point Cards: Each point card has a specific value. When a player purchases a point card, they add it to their collection, and its value contributes to their final score.
Bonus Coins: When a player purchases a point card from the far left of the row, they receive a bonus coin. Gold coins are worth three points, and silver coins are worth one point. These points are added to the player’s final score.

Final Scoring

At the end of the game, each player counts the points from their collected point cards and bonus coins to calculate their final score. The player with the highest final score is the winner. In the event of a tie, the player with the most bonus coins wins. If there is still a tie, the player who triggered the end of the game wins.

Scoring Did you outsmart your rivals?

Century: Spice Road is an exciting board game that involves creating a spice trade route. The scoring system in this game is straightforward yet strategic. Here’s an in-depth look at how the points are awarded in Century: Spice Road:

Points in Century: Spice Road are earned primarily in two ways:

Point Cards: Players earn points by acquiring Point Cards. These cards, represented with a number inside a star, represent a certain number of victory points. The more Point Cards a player collects, the higher their score.
Gold and Silver Coins: Players can also earn points through the acquisition of Gold and Silver Coins. Gold Coins are worth 3 points each, while Silver Coins are worth 1 point each. Players earn these coins by being the first or second to claim certain Point Cards.

At the end of the game, all the points from the Point Cards and the Coins are added up to determine the player’s final score. The player with the highest total score is the winner of the game.

If there’s a tie in the final scores, the tie-breaking rules of Century: Spice Road are applied. These rules are as follows:

In the event of a tie, the player with the most leftover spices in their caravan at the end of the game is declared the winner.
If there is still a tie, the player who acquired the most Point Cards wins.
If there is still a tie after applying the previous tie-breaking rules, then the tied players share the victory.

Understanding the scoring system is crucial for formulating a winning strategy in Century: Spice Road. Players need to balance their efforts between acquiring Point Cards and Coins while also keeping an eye on their spice reserves for potential tie-breaking situations.

Particular Cases and Exceptions Wait… is that legal?

Century: Spice Road is a simple yet captivating game that combines card drafting and set collection mechanics. While the game’s rules are generally straightforward, there are a few rare or special rules and exceptions that players should be aware of. Here are some important clarifications:

Trading and Upgrading Spices:

Spices are represented by cubes of different colors. Yellow cubes represent turmeric, red cubes represent saffron, green cubes represent cardamom, and brown cubes represent cinnamon.
When you play a card that allows you to upgrade spices, you must perform the upgrades in order. For example, if a card allows you to upgrade two spices, you must upgrade the first spice before upgrading the second one.
When trading spices, you cannot partially complete a trade. You must have enough spices to complete the entire trade or you cannot perform it at all.

Acquiring and Playing Cards:

You can only acquire a card from the market if you have the required spices in your caravan.
When you play a card from your hand, you must complete its action immediately. You cannot hold a card in your hand and wait to perform its action at a later time.
If your hand is full, you cannot acquire more cards until you have made space by playing or discarding cards.

Ending the Game:

The game ends when a player acquires their fifth point-scoring card (sixth in a two-player game). However, each player gets one final turn before the game ends.
In the case of a tie, the player with the most remaining spices in their caravan wins.

Special Rule Clarifications:

If you are unable to perform an action on a card because you do not have enough spices, you cannot play that card.
You cannot discard a card to make space in your hand if that card has already been played.
If the market deck is empty, you cannot acquire new cards.

Tips and tricks Play smarter, not harder!

Century: Spice Road is a strategic trading game that challenges players to manage resources wisely in order to win. Here are some tips, strategies, and common mistakes to avoid that can help improve your gameplay:

Advanced Strategies:

Card Efficiency: Always aim to achieve the highest efficiency per card. This means you want to get the most out of your spices for the least amount of effort. For example, a card that allows you to upgrade two spices at once is more efficient than one that only allows you to upgrade one.
Early Game Focus: In the early stages of the game, focus on acquiring cards that allow you to gather spices. These will be crucial for the late game when you want to start turning in spices for points.
Card Rotation: While it may be tempting to hold on to powerful cards for the perfect moment, it can often be more beneficial to keep your hand cycling. This ensures that you’re always getting new opportunities and prevents you from getting stuck with a hand full of cards you can’t use.

Beginner Tips:

Don’t ignore the lower point cards. While they may not seem as valuable, they can be easier to achieve and can add up to a substantial amount of points over the course of the game.
Remember to keep an eye on your opponents’ actions. Anticipating their moves can help you plan your own and potentially block them from achieving their goals.
Try to diversify your hand. Having a variety of cards will give you more options and allow you to adapt to different situations.

Common Mistakes to Avoid:

Overvaluing Gold and Silver Spices: While it’s true that gold and silver spices are more valuable, it’s not always the best strategy to focus solely on them. Balance is key in Century: Spice Road.
Ignoring Opponents’ Strategies: Century: Spice Road is a game of interaction. Ignoring what your opponents are doing can lead to missed opportunities for you to gain the upper hand.
Underestimating the Value of Quick Point Accumulation: It can be tempting to hold out for the high point cards, but sometimes the faster route to victory is through the consistent accumulation of lower point cards.

Ways to Optimize Gameplay:

Strategic Card Acquisition: Rather than randomly acquiring cards, have a strategy in place. Determine which cards will most benefit your game and make it a priority to acquire them.
Efficient Spice Management: Manage your spice cubes wisely. Be aware of how many you have, what types you need for your next turn, and don’t let them sit idle for too long.
Adaptive Gameplay: Be ready to adapt your strategy based on the game’s progression. If your initial strategy isn’t working, don’t be afraid to change it.