Merchants of Andromeda (2025)

The reviewer found "Merchants of Andromeda" to be a really fun and accessible game with a unique balancing mechanic where players don't necessarily need to win every auction or action to succeed, offering a refreshing strategic depth.

The reviewer highly praises "Merchants of Andromeda" as a very fun and enjoyable game, potentially the best AllPlay game they have played, highlighting its engaging, albeit simple, "Mario Party-like" mechanics and the satisfying auction system, along with its app integration.

“After two plays with a preview copy, Merchants of Andromeda is a strong candidate for one of my favorite releases of 2025. This is a design that, finally, lives up to its full potential.”

“I adore Merchants of Andromeda. I’d play it any time. It has about half a dozen things wrong with it, and I simply don’t care about any of them.”

The reviewer found "Merchants of Andromeda" to have some enjoyable individual mini-games and a well-implemented Dutch auction system, but ultimately felt the game was overwhelming due to disparate elements that lacked a unifying core identity.

“The reviewer unequivocally states that Merchants of Andromeda is the worst board game they have ever played, citing its lack of player agency, overly complex and fiddly rules for its five mini-games, and a complete absence of excitement or momentum throughout the experience.”