Merchant's Bay is a board game by Bill Logan, with artwork by MonkeyBloodDesigns.com and a great cover by Eric Quigley. It is mostly an area manipulation/control game with high tactical game-play. Despite being simple to learn and playable by younger gamers, the game has depth that advanced gamers can take advantage of to create a fun cut-throat experience.
Background:
You’re a merchant trying to grow his wealth in a region of stiff competition. You’ll traverse the roads and sea lanes of the bay, buying goods where available and selling where in demand while manipulating markets to maximize your profits. To complicate things you’ll have to avoid the bandits on the roads and pirates in the bay, but it’s your rival merchants who will give you the most trouble! Be the first player to reach a wealth of 10 and you’ll win the game! Sounds easy, right?
During the game you'll move around the bay by walking along the roads or using other means by playing cards form your hand:
and if you can't get to where you want to go, you can try using your mad merchant skillz to manipulate the markets to your whim:
and you can even play cards which affect the bay as a whole, forcing changes in the economy or giving you an edge when you need it:
Some in-game images: