Announcing the Agents of Venice Expansion
Marco Polo returns home in the first expansion to the 2015 hit The Voyages of Marco Polo
In 1295, Marco Polo returns to his native Venice after spending twenty-four years traveling the Silk Road. By this time, the city has become known around the world for its famous bazaars filled with luxurious items from lands near and far. Selling there would be a boon to any merchant, let alone one as experienced as Marco Polo.
Unfortunately for him, only the most well-known traders are allowed to sell at the palazzi of the noble families, and his time away has left him without contacts in the city. He must rebuild his reputation throughout Venice if he wants access to the deep pockets of these wealthy clients.
Luckily, he is not alone in this endeavor. Gaining access to the bazaars of Venice is a lucrative proposition, and many of the companions who joined Marco Polo on his journeys along the Silk Road are more than willing to help. Some worked with him for months at a time during his travels, while others lingered only briefly, but each of them contributed in their own way.
You, too, can join Marco Polo as he navigates the networks of Venetian merchants with his loyal companions. Z-Man Games is excited to announce the Agents of Venice expansion for The Voyages of Marco Polo!
This expansion adds two new modules that create more opportunities for you to become a renowned trader, as well as components to add a fifth player to the game. Additionally, you will also find more of everything that made The Voyages of Marco Polo a smash hit: new contracts, new city cards, new goal cards, and five new characters. Return to the thirteenth century and begin a new journey!
There’s No Place Like Home
Today, Venice is known throughout the world for its beautiful canals and unique architecture. In Marco Polo’s day, however, the city was equally well known as a center of trade and commerce. During this time, merchants from across the globe packed into the city’s many squares to sell their goods.
The thirteenth century version of this iconic city is yours to explore in the City of Venice Module included with Agents of Venice. Introducing the Venice board and a new action space that lets you build trading posts across the city, this module provides all new opportunities to grow your wealth. Depending on their size, the trading posts you build here grant similar bonuses to trading posts elsewhere on the map, giving you the opportunity to build a profitable network in the city.
But in Venice you must earn your way to the top. At the beginning of the game, only one palazzo is available to you. You must build a trading post here to open access to others. No matter which path they choose, the first person to reach the upper echelons of Venetian society will be greeted with extra victory points.
Friends on the Road
You’re bound to meet a great number of interesting people in your travels, whether they be new friends or business associates. As a merchant, it is in your best interest to cultivate as many contacts as you can. Having them can provide many benefits as you seek to make your way in the world. With the Companions module, the good people you have met on the road come to your aid.
The nine companions found in the module provide a wide range of benefits to players that commit dice to their action space, from allowing them to adjust the value of their dice to reducing the cost of travel. But their help is fleeting; just like Marco Polo, your path eventually diverges from that of your companions, and you can only make use of a companion’s benefit until the end of the current round. Clever travelers will choose the companions that best meet their needs at that point in the game.
A New Journey Begins
Whether played alone with the base game or together, the modules found in Agents of Venice provide you with new options to explore and even more ground to cover. Embark on a new journey and build your fortune!
Return to the Silk Road and become a master trader. The Agents of Venice Expansion is set to be released in early 2018. Head to your local retailer to pre-order your copy today, or your can place your pre-order through Z-Man Games here.
