The Silk Market in Beijing, China is a seething mass of no-holds-barred capitalism, with almost everything you could ever want on sale. On sale, that is, if you can beat the sellers at the fine art of negotiation. Silk Market has players take on the role of both buyers and sellers, each trying to get the best deal on products without really knowing how much they're worth.
Special Rules
Card Types
There are 4 card types in the game: Price cards, Shopping List cards, Shopping Bonus cards, Product cards and Special cards.
Price and Product cards all have categories that are shown on the cards. Other cards, such as the Shopping List and Shopping Bonus cards, refer to these categories.
Product cards also have a corner value, showing how many Buyer points the Buyer will get when he purchases the card.
Price, Shopping List, Shopping Bonus and Product cards are all Things, while Special cards are Actions.
Start of Game
Separate the Price cards into separate decks by category. These are called the Price decks.
Separate the Shopping List cards into their own deck. Each player takes 5 Shopping List cards and puts them face-down in front of themselves.
Separate the Shopping Bonus cards into their own deck. Each player takes 1 Shopping Bonus card and puts it face-down in front of themselves.
The remaining cards are called the deck. Each player takes 4 cards.
Each player should have some way of recording how many points they get during the game as a Seller. This should be kept secret from all other players.
You should also have some sort of timer.
Playing The Game
Players do these 3 steps every turn.
Step 1: Draw Cards
Every player draws or discards cards as needed so that they have 3 cards in their hands.
Step 2: Show Products
The players to the left and right of the current player (called the Buyer) show one Product card from their hands.
The Buyer picks on e of these Product cards. That player is now called the Seller.
The Seller takes a Price card from the appropriate Price deck. The Seller can look at the card, but must keep it secret. If the Product card has 2 categories, the Seller may choose which Price deck he will draw from, but must keep that card.
Step 3: Haggle
The Buyer and the Seller now have 1 minute to decide how many points the Seller will get in exchange for giving the Product card to the Buyer.
If the Buyer and Seller agree before 1 minute passes, the Buyer has "purchased" the Product card, and puts it face-down in front of herself. The Seller adds the agreed-upon number of points to his current Seller score and keeps the Price card face-down in front of himself.
If the Buyer and Seller have not agreed after 1 minute, they have one last chance to say Yes or No to the last offer that was made by either one. If both do not say Yes, the Seller puts the Product and Price cards on the bottom of their decks.
End of Game
A player who has the combination of "purchased" Product cards as shown on their Shopping List cards can choose to end the game at the end of their turn. When they do so, all players reveal any face-down cards and their current Seller score, and start figuring out their score.
Scoring
Every player will have a Buyer and Seller score. Your total score is the sum of your Buyer and Seller scores.
Your Buyer score is the total point value of all your "purchased" Product cards, plus any Buyer bonuses you've won. (Keep in mind that your Shopping Bonus card can change how much some of your "purchased" Product cards are worth.)
Your final Seller score is the Seller score you got during the game, minus the total value of your Price cards, plus any Seller bonuses you've won.
Buyer Bonuses
- The first player to fulfill their Shopping List and end the game gets a 20 point bonus.
- Any other player who fulfills their Shopping List gets a 10 point bonus.
- Any player who buys 1 card of each Product type gets a 5 point bonus.
- Any player who buys 6 cards of one Product type gets a 10 point bonus.
Seller Bonus
- Any player who sells 1 card of each Product type gets a 5 point bonus.
- Any player who sells 6 cards of one Product type gets a 10 point bonus.
Card List
Product - Accessories
The only way to make sure no one else will be wearing it.
Product - Accessories
"Trendy" is in this season...
Product - Accessories
Just the thing for a night on the town!
Product - Accessories
It must be silk. The label says so!
Product - Entertainment
Press X to not die.
Product - Entertainment
There's a market for that.
Product - Entertainment
I've been meaning to see that!
Product - Entertainment
Play "Ride of the Valkyries" for maximum effect.
Product - Souvenirs
They say it's not easy being green, but being a dragon made of stone ought to help.
Product - Souvenirs
So how much for the whole army?
Product - Souvenirs
The cloth ones are more useful, but these smell better. Mmmm, sandalwood...
Product - Souvenirs
I wonder what the Chairman would think of this...
Product - Clothing
"Made to fit you"? It should be after 17 fittings!
Product - Clothing
Something else...
Product - Clothing
Something else...
Product - Clothing
Something else...
Product - Accessories/Entertainment
Something else...
Product - Entertainment/Souvenirs
Something else...
Product - Souvenirs/Clothing
You cannot be called a man until you have bought a crappy T-shirt.
Product - Clothing/Accessories
Something else...
Price - Accessories
Subtract the number of points shown on this card from your Seller score at the end of the game.
Price - Accessories
Subtract the number of points shown on this card from your Seller score at the end of the game.
Price - Accessories
Subtract the number of points shown on this card from your Seller score at the end of the game.
Price - Accessories
Subtract the number of points shown on this card from your Seller score at the end of the game.
Price - Accessories
Subtract the number of points shown on this card from your Seller score at the end of the game.
Price - Entertainment
Subtract the number of points shown on this card from your Seller score at the end of the game.
Price - Entertainment
Subtract the number of points shown on this card from your Seller score at the end of the game.
Price - Entertainment
Subtract the number of points shown on this card from your Seller score at the end of the game.
Price - Entertainment
Subtract the number of points shown on this card from your Seller score at the end of the game.
Price - Entertainment
Subtract the number of points shown on this card from your Seller score at the end of the game.
Price - Souvenirs
Subtract the number of points shown on this card from your Seller score at the end of the game.
Price - Souvenirs
Subtract the number of points shown on this card from your Seller score at the end of the game.
Price - Souvenirs
Subtract the number of points shown on this card from your Seller score at the end of the game.
Price - Souvenirs
Subtract the number of points shown on this card from your Seller score at the end of the game.
Price - Souvenirs
Subtract the number of points shown on this card from your Seller score at the end of the game.
Price - Clothing
Subtract the number of points shown on this card from your Seller score at the end of the game.
Price - Clothing
Subtract the number of points shown on this card from your Seller score at the end of the game.
Price - Clothing
Subtract the number of points shown on this card from your Seller score at the end of the game.
Price - Clothing
Subtract the number of points shown on this card from your Seller score at the end of the game.
Price - Clothing
Subtract the number of points shown on this card from your Seller score at the end of the game.
Shopping List
Shopping List - Accessories
This Shopping List card is fulfilled if you have bought 1 Product card that is a ProductType. That Product card can't be used to fulfill any other Shopping List cards. If all your shopping list cards are fulfilled, you can end the game.
Shopping List
Shopping List - Entertainment
This Shopping List card is fulfilled if you have bought 1 Product card that is a ProductType. That Product card can't be used to fulfill any other Shopping List cards. If all your shopping list cards are fulfilled, you can end the game.
Shopping List
Shopping List - Souvenirs
This Shopping List card is fulfilled if you have bought 1 Product card that is a ProductType. That Product card can't be used to fulfill any other Shopping List cards. If all your shopping list cards are fulfilled, you can end the game.
Shopping List
Shopping List - Clothing
This Shopping List card is fulfilled if you have bought 1 Product card that is a ProductType. That Product card can't be used to fulfill any other Shopping List cards. If all your shopping list cards are fulfilled, you can end the game.
Product - ProductType
Something else...
Price - ProductType
Subtract the number of points shown on this card from your Seller score at the end of the game.
Sample Shopping List
Shopping List - ProductType
This Shopping List card is fulfilled if you have bought 1 Product card that is a ProductType. That Product card can't be used to fulfill any other Shopping List cards. If all your shopping list cards are fulfilled, you can end the game.
Shoppng Bonus - ProductType
At the end of the game, any Product cards you have bought that are ProductType are worth 3 extra points.
Sample Special
Special
Something...
Something else...
Print this deck
