# Merv: The Heart of the Silk Road

Merv: The Heart of the Silk Road is a board game for 1–4 players. It plays in 90 minutes and is meant for ages 14 and up. Ludoya players call it best with 4. It is rated 7.5 out of 10 by 49 Ludoya reviewers. The cheapest copy in stock is $45.49 (United States).

- **Players:** 1–4 (best with 4)
- **Playing time:** 90 minutes
- **Minimum age:** 14+
- **Complexity:** 3.4 out of 5
- **Year published:** 2020
- **Categories:** City Building, Economic, Medieval, Arabian
- **Mechanics:** Auction: Turn Order Until Pass, Ownership, Track Movement, Rondel, Contracts, Modular Board, Solo / Solitaire Game, Variable Set-up, Set Collection, Square Grid, Turn Order: Auction
- **Ludoya rating:** 7.5 out of 10, from 49 reviews
- **Owned by:** 110 Ludoya players
- **Plays logged on Ludoya:** 180
- **Unique players:** 249

**Designers:** Fabio Lopiano

**Artists:** Ian O'Toole

**Publishers:** Osprey Games

## Where to buy in United States

| Shop | Price | Link |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Cardhaus Games | 45.49 $ | https://www.cardhaus.com/merv-the-heart-of-the-silk-road/ |
| Gigamesh | 32.5 € | https://gigamesh.com/merv-el-corazon-de-la-ruta-de-la-seda/ |
| Zatu Games | 31.89 £ | https://zatu.com/products/merv-the-heart-of-the-silk-road |
| Ludifolie | 49.9 € | https://www.ludifolie.com/10561-merv-la-route-de-la-soie.html |
| Snafu Store | 54.95 € | https://snafustore.com/product/merv-the-heart-of-the-silk-road/ |
| Alphaspel | 625 kr | https://alphaspel.se/491-bradspel/131120-merv-the-heart-of-the-silk-road |
| Svet deskovych her | 1390 Kč | https://www.svet-deskovych-her.cz/produkty/8622/merv-the-heart-of-the-silk-road |
| Uplay | 63.99 € | https://www.uplay.it/it/gioco-da-tavolo-merv--the-heart-of-the-silk-road.html |
| Fantasiapelit | 73.6 € | https://www.fantasiapelit.com/index.php?main=ai&kat=single&mista=indeksi&etsittava=_208838 |
| Spielezar | 69.9 Fr. | https://www.spielezar.ch/brettspiele/merv-heart-of-the-silk-road-en |

## Similar games

- [Baghdad: The City of Peace](https://www.ludoya.com/games/baghdad-the-city-of-peace)
- [Teotihuacan: City of Gods](https://www.ludoya.com/games/teotihuacan-city-of-gods)
- [Great Western Trail: Argentina](https://www.ludoya.com/games/great-western-trail-argentina)
- [Great Western Trail](https://www.ludoya.com/games/great-western-trail)
- [Great Western Trail: New Zealand](https://www.ludoya.com/games/great-western-trail-new-zealand)
- [Ostia](https://www.ludoya.com/games/ostia-2)
- [IKI](https://www.ludoya.com/games/iki)
- [Messina 1347](https://www.ludoya.com/games/messina-1347)
- [Great Western Trail: Second Edition](https://www.ludoya.com/games/great-western-trail-second-edition)
- [Sabika](https://www.ludoya.com/games/sabika)
- [The Great Zimbabwe](https://www.ludoya.com/games/the-great-zimbabwe)
- [Teotihuacan: City of Gods – Deluxe Master Set](https://www.ludoya.com/games/teotihuacan-city-of-gods-deluxe-master-set)

## Rules questions

### Can I place a camel on a camel‑market slot that already has a camel (or stack camels there)?

No — when you place a camel in the camel market it must be placed on a slot that is not already covered by another camel; alternatively you may take the “collect all camels” option. (page 6)

### If I activate a building site that has no building, can I take that tile’s action instead of placing a building?

No — if you choose a building site with no building you must place one of your buildings on it. (page 6)

### What protects buildings from the Mongol invasion, and how does ransom work?

Buildings are protected by wall segments/gates or by a soldier on the building; if a building is attacked you either pay the ransom (one resource of the colour the site produces, or a resource allowed by an upgrade/white upgrade) or return the building to your supply. Middle row/column sites may need only a single gate while other sites can require protection from two directions. (page 7)

### If my building is removed by the invasion, do any upgrades on that site get removed too?

Upgrades remain on the building site even if the building is removed by the invasion. (page 7)

### When I take caravan cards, am I allowed to take any card or am I limited by spices I already have?

You spend same‑colour resources to take X caravan cards, but each card you take must either have a camel on it or be the next card after a card with a camel (you may always take the frontmost card); additionally you may only keep as many different spice types as your current influence level allows (1/2/3/4 types at the influence thresholds). (pages 9–10)

### During scoring, do I have to spend favour for every courtier even if I don't have enough favour to cover them all?

Yes — for each courtier you must spend one favour to score; if you have fewer favour than courtiers you must spend all your favour and you choose which courtiers to score for, and you must still spend favour on a courtier even if it yields no points. (page 8)

## Links

- [This page](https://www.ludoya.com/games/merv-the-heart-of-the-silk-road)
- [Merv: The Heart of the Silk Road in the Ludoya app](https://app.ludoya.com/g/merv-the-heart-of-the-silk-road)
- [BoardGameGeek entry](https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/306040)

_Data from Ludoya, updated 2026-09-24. Ratings, ownership and play counts are Ludoya's own._