Portobello Market

About this board game

Portobello Market is a board game for 2–4 players that takes about 35 minutes, set at London’s world-famous Portobello Market in 1901. Players compete to secure the best places for their stalls and build the most profitable market presence.

The morning begins with a race for valuable building spots. Place your stalls carefully to claim lucrative positions, cut off your opponents, and seize the alleys that promise the greatest rewards.

There is one important restriction: you can build only where the Bobby stands. His position controls where construction can take place, making his location central to every plan. However, money can influence the situation, allowing you to pay and make the Bobby stand where you want him to.

Success in Portobello Market comes from combining careful placement with timely spending. Choose when to pursue the best locations, when to block another player, and when cash can give you access to the spot your strategy needs.

With its London setting and focus on contested market space, the game presents a compact struggle for profitable alleys and advantageous stall locations. Every decision contributes to the race to build the most lucrative arrangement.

The game was originally developed under the prototype title East India Railway. It became Portobello Market when published by Schmidt in 2007, bringing its market-building contest to the table.