The Voyages of Marco Polo
The Voyages of Marco Polo explained: roll dice, place them on action spaces, fulfill contracts, travel across Asia, open trading posts and exploit asymmetric character powers.
Travel from Venice toward Beijing while using dice as workers, completing contracts and opening trading posts that unlock city bonuses.
Highly asymmetric characters bend major rules, so each game asks players to exploit a different structural advantage.
Why We Love It
Dice placement creates tactical pressure while character powers are strong enough to reshape strategy completely, producing very different routes through the same economic system.
About The Voyages of Marco Polo
The Voyages of Marco Polo is a heavy strategy game published by Hans im Glück and designed by Daniele Tascini; Simone Luciani. Its core systems include Dice Placement, Contracts and Route Travel, creating a mix of tactical timing and longer-term planning.
This guide focuses on the edition and rules scope identified in the source notes below, with factual rules separated from editorial decision analysis.
Game at a Glance
Dice Placement
Use dice values as action access, strength or timing constraints.
Contracts
Use this system efficiently and connect it to your broader scoring plan.
Route Travel
Use this system efficiently and connect it to your broader scoring plan.
Variable Player Powers
Use this system efficiently and connect it to your broader scoring plan.
Who The Voyages of Marco Polo suits
The Voyages of Marco Polo suits players who enjoy Dice Placement and Contracts, with room to build a plan while reacting to shared incentives. Its heavy weight makes it a better fit for groups comfortable tracking several connected systems.
Rules overview
At the start of each round, players roll their dice and place one or more on action spaces. Actions provide resources, contracts, money and travel. Completing contracts converts goods into rewards, while traveling establishes trading posts in cities that provide immediate or recurring benefits. Personal character powers significantly modify normal rules.
Key decisions
Editorial analysis: Contracts create the economic engine, but travel creates access to stronger bonuses and endgame goals. Efficient play links both instead of treating them as separate scoring plans.
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Sources and edition notes
Facts checked September 17, 2026. This guide covers the original standalone base game; Board&Dice has announced a 2026 deluxe project for the wider series.