Die Kaufleute von Amsterdam (The Merchants of Amsterdam, German Edition)

Players are attempting to be in first or second place majorites in a variety of categories throuhout the game. These include commodity markets, trading colonies, and warehouses in amsterdam.

On your turn, you draw three cards and decide how they will be resolved for the turn. You can either remove the card from the game, keep it for yourself, or put it up for auction. The cards allow players to advance or place one of their markers in the various categories.

There are also time marker cards which when drawn move the game through various "historical" phases until the last, which ends the game. The historical phases follow a period of time in the history of Amsterdam which can range from no effect, scoring rounds for particular categories, bonuses, and toward the end, some penalties as wars begin to disrupt business markets.

The unique twist in the game is that there is a spring-driven auction clock to perform the dutch auctions throughout the game. You start the clock and it ticks down as all of the players hold their hands ready close by. The idea is that as time passes, the cost of the card lowers and it is simply an issue of who will pay for it first by slapping down on the clock and thus stopping it at a certain price.