Istanbul: Big Box

2018 · Economic

Istanbul: Big Box

Manage a caravan through a bustling Ottoman bazaar, moving a merchant and assistants to visit market locations, collect goods, earn money and acquire rubies. This edition bundles the base game with both expansions and a mini expansion, adding new locations, tiles, and special actions that change how turns and routes work. Players draft routes across the optional larger 5×5 bazaar, balance hand management and spatial movement, and race to collect a set number of gems to win.

Players
2–5 best 4
Playing time
40–90 min
Age
10+
Complexity
2.5 / 5
7.8 on Ludoyafrom $51.99Dice RollingGrid MovementModular Board

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On Ludoya's tables

Full stats in Ludoya
191
Plays logged
187
Players
58m 34s
Average play
93
In collections
5
On wishlists

7.8/10

from 24 Ludoya reviews

  • Jeremy Jackson7.0

    2-5 players (best with 4)- Worker placement race game that emphasis efficient route building with your worker movesREVIEWhttps://youtu.be/Cq962mpwm8o?si=2zz-NBJTV4g8xz3fLEARN TO PLAYhttps://youtu.be/00YbrFbhqow?si=Sd8VPCMxrVnOVAus

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Rules questions

Answered from the rulebook by Ludoya's rules assistant.

After I move, do I have to pick up or leave an Assistant to take the Place action, or can I just move and take the action?

You must either pick up an Assistant or leave one behind when you end your movement to be able to carry out the Place action; if you neither pick up nor leave an Assistant your turn ends immediately (the Fountain is an exception). (p.8; Fountain exception: p.18)

If there are other merchants at the Place I land on, do I pay them before I take the action, and what if I can't or won't pay?

After movement (and after you pick up/leave an Assistant) you must pay each other Merchant 2 Lira in the Encounters phase before taking the Place action; if you cannot or choose not to pay, your turn ends immediately (you don’t have to pay at the Fountain). (p.8; Fountain exception: p.18)

If I free my Family member from the Police Station and send them to another Place, do I still do that Place’s action and do they face encounters or payments?

When you free your Family member from the Police Station you send them to another Place and then immediately carry out that Place’s action; your Family member does not suffer encounters and you do not have to pay 2 Lira (and you may not use the Governor). (p.19)

When do I get my 5th Assistant from a Mosque tile — is it added immediately when I buy the tile?

Yes: after you pay the goods and receive the Mosque tile, you immediately add your 5th Assistant to the bottom of your Merchant stack (the 5th Assistant is kept nearby during setup). (p.19; setup note: p.7)

How many Rubies end the game — is it 5 or 6?

In the base game a player collecting 5 Rubies triggers the end (finish the round), but in a 2‑player game and when playing with certain included expansions the end condition becomes 6 Rubies; with the Letters & Seals expansion the game ends when a player has 6 Rubies. (p.8; Letters/expansion note: p.16)

What happens when I catch other players’ Family members — where do they go and what reward do I get?

You send all caught Family members to the Police Station and, for each one, you may take either 1 Bonus card or 3 Lira from the supply (you get no reward if the Family member was already in the Police Station). (p.9; Police Station details: p.19)

Opens Ludoya's rules assistant, which reads this game's rulebook.

Game facts (players, playing time, age, credits) from BoardGameGeek.