The rules need a rewrite and bigger font size. Low complexity and short playing time for a wargame, high complexity and long playing time for a German game. Players take the roles of powerful merchant families in 17th Century Amsterdam competing to make the most money through investments in the commodity market, building warehouses in Amsterdam, and opening trade offices in the colonies. Players take turns as the mayor and must make good use of the mayor s control of the cards that drive the game and are the object of the bidding. Like other Knizia games this one has an overwrought scoring system.
Players capture outlaws by collecting and playing sets of outlaw cards.
Playing a set adds to the reward and increases that player s part of the bounty. Players collect their reward money at the end of each hand. After several hands the bounty hunter with the most money wins. As usual with Rio Grande, this game has the same great-looking components as the German original. The Old West graphics by Franz Vohwinkel will make you want to watch your back.