Rules & Strategy Guide

Welcome to Merchant's Trail. The rules of this game are heavily inspired by the classic game of Caravan.

Your objective is to build three opposing tracks, representing trade routes against your rival merchant.

To secure a track, your cards must total between 21 and 26 points. This is known as a "Sold Caravan".

The game ends when all three tracks are sold by either player. You win by securing at least two out of the three tracks (2/3) before your rival does.

You build tracks by playing number cards (2 through 10) and Aces (value = 1). The value of each card adds to the total weight of the caravan.

A track's "Direction" is established when you place the second card on the track:

• If the second card is higher than the first, the track becomes Ascending ⬆️.
• If the second card is lower than the first, the track becomes Descending ⬇️.

From then on, all following number cards must strictly obey that established direction.

There is one powerful exception to the direction rule: The Suit Match.

You may ALWAYS play a card that matches the Suit (♥️, ♠️, ♦️, ♣️) of the previous card, completely ignoring the current track direction!

When you do this, the track's direction instantly REVERSES to follow the new trajectory.

Face cards have no standalone numerical value. They attach to other number cards to modify them. You can play them on your own cards OR on your enemy's cards to sabotage their routes!

Managing your hand and tracks efficiently is the key to securing difficult caravans.

• 🗑️ Discarding a Card: Select an unwanted card from your hand and tap the DISCARD button to discard it and draw a fresh card.
• 🔥 Sacrificing a Track: If a track becomes overloaded (>26 points) or jammed, LONG PRESS on the track column to clear all cards from it.