The Voyages of Marco Polo
- Players
- 2-4
- Best withThe player count this game plays best at.
- 4 players
- Play timeHow long a full game runs once everyone knows the rules.
- 100 min
- AgeThe minimum age printed by the publisher.
- 12+
- ComplexityHow demanding the rules are, from 1 (very light) to 5 (very heavy).
- 3.2 / 5
- Year
- 2015
About the game
The Voyages of Marco Polo recreates the historic 13th-century journey to the court of Kublai Khan through a dice-placement worker game. Each round, players roll personal dice and place them on the board to collect resources, fulfill contracts, or travel eastward along the Silk Road, establishing trading posts along the way. Higher-value dice unlock better options but cost more if an opponent has already used that action. After five rounds, bonus points reward completed contracts and strategic city placements.
Hobbli's Notes
The Voyages of Marco Polo elevates the dice-placement genre by making the value of your dice matter as much as their placement, creating a satisfying push-and-pull between efficiency and cost. The asymmetric character powers give each player a distinct strategic identity from game to game. It's a rewarding mid-to-heavy euro that plays quickly for its depth.
What we like
- Dice-value placement adds a unique strategic wrinkle to worker placement.
- Asymmetric character powers increase replayability.
- Satisfying route-building across the map to Beijing.
- Reasonable playtime for the strategic depth offered.
Keep in mind
- Dice rolling introduces variance some strategy gamers may dislike.
- Popular actions can be blocked or made costly by other players.
- Can be easily confused with the unrelated Marco Polo Expedition game.
Who it's for
Great for strategy gamers aged 12+ who enjoy dice-driven worker placement, in groups of 2-4.
