Teach the Game

Travel west from Beijing, build a city network and serve the Khan.

How you win

After five rounds, the player with the most points wins. Build Trading Posts in cities with different shields, fulfill Contracts, match your Goal Card and use the Books, Guild Seals and city actions efficiently.

The boards

The main board combines seven action types with a route map from Beijing westward. Each player board holds their dice, resources and Contracts. City Bonus markers and Outpost bonus tiles make some destinations especially valuable; city cards provide private action spaces once you have a post there.

A round

At the start, take recurring bonuses, retrieve dice and roll. If your total is under 15, take Coins or Camels for the difference. In clockwise order, players place the required dice for one Main Action. Bonus Actions may happen before or after it, never during it. Continue until all players have used their dice; after five rounds, score the game.

How the game ends

After round five, add Goal Card points, city-shield points, one point per two remaining Goods and one per ten Coins. The player or players with the most completed Contracts score eight points; second place scores four, except in a two-player game. Most points wins; tied players compare Camels and then share the win if still tied.

Ways to score

Post in cities with different shields to score on the shield track. Complete Contracts for points and resources; a majority of completed Contracts earns an end-game award. Your Goal Card rewards matching city shields and improved Guild Seals. Reaching and building a city network also gives access to bonuses and actions that can help you score.

What each resource is for

Coins pay for occupied blue actions and many routes. Camels pay route costs and support bonus actions. Pepper, Silk and Gold fulfill Contracts; Jade is a Good too, and can substitute for one Coin or Camel when paying a cost. Large Goods and Camels count as three.

Teaching tips

Start with the difference between blue and brown action spaces, then explain the lowest die and occupied-space fee. Demonstrate how Jade substitutes for route costs, and plan a Travel action’s costs before moving. Teach the Guild Seal and shield scoring details before choosing Goal Cards.