Reviewed by Herb Levy
MERCADO (Kosmos, 2 to 4 players. ages 10 and up, 30-40 minutes; $39.95)
Mercado means “market” in Spanish and, true to its name, players will find themselves in a market where they will use their wealth to buy expensive treasures and rare perfumes and, with the aid of the head merchant and coin changer, build their reputations. This might lead you to suspect that gaining the most Reputation Points is the key to victory. That is only partially true. In essence, this is a “race” game where gaining Reputation is the fuel that powers you around the track, past the starting space. The player who manages to get furthest along when the game ends will win in this new game from Rudiger Dorn: Mercado.
