Ships

Ships follows on from Automobile and deals with the history of shipping, from the time of the Phoenicians to the modern era.

The game is divided into three ages, marked with different ship types. The first age is that of the galley, followed by the age of the galleon, then finally the steamship age. The board combines a track showing the development of ships, similar to that in Automobile with a map of Europe. There is also an area around the European map that represents the rest of the world.

Your turn is divided into two phases. In the first phase you must choose between commerce and taking a card. Commerce allows you to sell goods, tax locations and improve your warehouse. If you choose to take a card then you select one from seven on display. The cards vary in their effects, granting money, victory points or special actions. In the second phase you choose whether to place a ship, move a ship or retrieve ships/merchants. When you place a ship you do so in the highest occupied level. There are eleven levels in all, each one divided into two boxes – the merchant box and the warship box. Placing one of your ships in the merchant box allows you to place a merchant cube on the board. Where you place it will give you one or two goods counters which you then place in your warehouse. If you place your ship in a warship box you can take control of a location, but must expend one food goods counter to do so.

• Read more information at BoardGameGeek website .
• Players: 2-4
• Playing time: 120 min.
• Language: English
• Language dependence: High
• Age: 12+