# The Guild of Merchant Explorers

The Guild of Merchant Explorers is a board game for 1–4 players. It plays in 45 minutes and is meant for ages 14 and up. Ludoya players call it best with 2. It is rated 7.5 out of 10 by 48 Ludoya reviewers. The cheapest copy in stock is $39.99 (United States).

- **Players:** 1–4 (best with 2)
- **Playing time:** 45 minutes
- **Minimum age:** 14+
- **Complexity:** 2.1 out of 5
- **Year published:** 2022
- **Categories:** Fantasy, Adventure, Exploration
- **Mechanics:** Solo / Solitaire Game, Line Drawing, Network and Route Building, Chaining, Hexagon Grid, Pattern Movement, Bingo, Hidden Victory Points
- **Ludoya rating:** 7.5 out of 10, from 48 reviews
- **Owned by:** 104 Ludoya players
- **Plays logged on Ludoya:** 516
- **Unique players:** 390

**Designers:** Brett J. Gilbert, Matthew Dunstan

**Artists:** Gerralt Landman

## Where to buy in United States

| Shop | Price | Link |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Cardhaus Games | 39.99 $ | https://www.cardhaus.com/the-guild-of-merchant-explorers/ |
| Gamers Guild AZ | 49.99 $ | https://gamersguildaz.com/products/the-guild-of-merchant-explorers-pre-order |
| Board Game Bliss | 56.95 $ | https://www.boardgamebliss.com/products/the-guild-of-merchant-explorers |
| eFantasy | 59.99 € | https://www.efantasy.gr/en/products/board-games/224133-board-game-the-guild-of-merchant-explorers |
| Juegos de la Mesa Redonda | 35.96 € | https://juegosdelamesaredonda.com/14718-the-guild-of-merchant-explorers-castellano-8435163900188.html |
| Ludifolie | 39.9 € | https://www.ludifolie.com/15549-la-guilde-des-expeditions-marchandes.html |
| Magia de Tinta | 39.95 € | https://www.magiadetinta.com/es/juegos/6929-the-guild-of-merchant-explorers-8435163900188.html |
| Zatu Games | 37.09 £ | https://zatu.com/products/the-guild-of-merchant-explorers |
| Good Games | 70.62 $ | https://www.goodgames.com.au/products/the-guild-of-merchant-explorers |
| Philibert | 55 € | https://philibertnet.com/fr/alderac/168425-the-guild-of-merchant-explorers-0729220071026.html |
| Games Empire | 71.99 $ | https://gamesempire.com.au/products/the-guild-of-merchant-explorers |
| Alphaspel | 519 kr | https://alphaspel.se/491-bradspel/171075-the-guild-of-merchant-explorers-en |
| Gamers@Hart | 42.48 £ | https://gamersathart.co.uk/product/the-guild-of-merchant-explorers/ |
| World of Board Games | 575 kr | https://www.worldofboardgames.com/the-guild-of-merchant-explorers |
| Dragons Lair | 575 kr | https://dragonslair.se/products/the-guild-of-merchant-explorers |
| Pelipeikko | 53.95 € | https://pelipeikko.fi/fi/lautapelit/2462-the-guild-of-merchant-explorers |
| Spielezar | 52.9 Fr. | https://www.spielezar.ch/brettspiele/die-gilde-der-fahrenden-haendler |
| Get Your Fun | 59.99 € | https://www.getyourfun.it/034120-the-guild-of-merchant-explorers-giochi-gestionali.html |
| Uplay | 65.99 € | https://www.uplay.it/it/gioco-da-tavolo-the-guild-of-merchant-explorers.html |
| Spilforsyningen | 499.95 kr | https://spilforsyningen.dk/products/the-guild-of-merchant-explorers-eng |
| Nexus | 9995 kr | https://nexus.is/vara/the-guild-of-merchant-explorers/ |
| Game Ninja | 799 kr | https://www.gameninja.no/produkt/guild-of-merchant-explorers/ |

## Expansions

- [The Guild of Merchant Explorers: The Queen's Special Orders](https://www.ludoya.com/games/the-guild-of-merchant-explorers-the-queens-special-orders)
- [The Guild of Merchant Explorers: Party Pack](https://www.ludoya.com/games/the-guild-of-merchant-explorers-party-pack)

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## Rules questions

### If I discover a village during an explore action, can I immediately explore from that new village (even during the same action)?

Yes — discovered villages immediately act as starting spaces and you may explore from a village you discovered as part of the same explore action (see pages 5–7, and the investigate example on page 6).

### Do my explorers stay on the map between eras, or do I remove them?

Remove all of your explorers at the end of each era and return them to your supply; villages, trading posts, treasure tokens, and discovery towers remain where they are (page 5).

### Can I place explorers on the capital space, and does the capital count as a village for goals?

You cannot place explorers onto the capital space, but the capital always functions as a starting point like a village for explore actions and it does not count as a village for goals (pages 4–5).

### When I connect two cities do I score immediately, and can the same city score more than once?

You immediately complete and score a trade route when you connect two cities with an unbroken chain (multiply the city values and take the coins), then place a trading post on one city; a city with a trading post can never be used to score another trade route, and if one placement connects three cities resolve the trade routes one at a time (page 7).

### How do investigate cards work when an era card is revealed — do I draw and keep them, and when can I use them?

The first time an era card is revealed each player draws 2 investigate cards, chooses 1 to place in that era's slot and takes its action (discard the other); in later reveals you use the investigate card you placed for that era, and in Era IV you may use any of your investigate cards (page 6).

### When I explore a ruin and draw a treasure card, do I resolve it now or at the end of the game?

When you first explore a ruin place a treasure token and draw a treasure card: resolve any immediate effects right away; treasure cards without immediate effects are kept face-down and scored at game end, and revisiting a ruin with a token does not draw another card (pages 7 and 10).

## Links

- [This page](https://www.ludoya.com/games/the-guild-of-merchant-explorers)
- [The Guild of Merchant Explorers in the Ludoya app](https://app.ludoya.com/g/the-guild-of-merchant-explorers)
- [BoardGameGeek entry](https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/350933)

_Data from Ludoya, updated 2026-09-19. Ratings, ownership and play counts are Ludoya's own._