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About Istanbul: Digital Edition
Istanbul: Digital Edition brings the award‑winning board game to Windows, macOS and Linux, letting you lead a merchant and four assistants through a bustling bazaar. Collect and trade goods, upgrade your wheelbarrow, and acquire special abilities while racing to gather the required rubies.
The digital version keeps the original rules and adds features such as AI opponents with three difficulty levels, cross‑platform online play (both synchronous and asynchronous), pass‑and‑play, color‑blind mode, and more than 70 Steam achievements.
01 / THE GUIDE
Goal and Victory Conditions
The win condition is to be the first merchant to obtain a set number of rubies. Rubies can be bought directly or earned by converting traded goods, so players must balance purchasing power with efficient trading.
When a player reaches the required ruby total, the match ends and that merchant is declared the winner. The ruby count therefore serves as the sole metric for success throughout the game.
- Track how many rubies you gain per turn from each trade to spot the most efficient path.
- Consider buying rubies only after you have a reliable flow of high‑value goods.
02 / THE GUIDE
Assistant Placement and Movement
Each turn you move the merchant and one assistant to a bazaar location, then leave the assistant there to perform that location’s action. The merchant must later return to retrieve the assistant before it can be used again.
Because an assistant stays behind after acting, planning routes that keep at least one assistant available is essential; losing all assistants temporarily halts any further actions.
- Design a loop that lets you pick up assistants before they become stranded.
- Prioritise locations with high‑value actions early, then reposition assistants for later turns.
03 / THE GUIDE
Wheelbarrow Capacity
The wheelbarrow determines how many goods you can carry at once. Upgrading its capacity lets you transport larger batches, reducing the number of trips needed across the bazaar.
Capacity upgrades often pair well with special abilities, creating a combined effect that speeds ruby acquisition by moving more valuable goods per turn.
- Upgrade capacity after you have a steady supply of high‑value goods.
- Combine larger capacity with abilities that increase trade value for maximum impact.
04 / THE GUIDE
Online and Local Multiplayer
Istanbul supports cross‑platform online multiplayer in both synchronous (real‑time) and asynchronous (turn‑based) formats, allowing players to compete regardless of device or schedule. A pass‑and‑play option also enables two or more players to share a single device.
During multiplayer matches, the game records opponents’ last moves, letting you replay them after each turn. This replay can inform strategic adjustments for future actions.
- Use asynchronous mode when players have differing availability to keep the game flowing.
- Review opponent move replays to identify patterns and adapt your routing.
05 / THE GUIDE
Accessibility and Quality‑of‑Life Features
A built‑in color‑blind mode helps players with color vision deficiencies differentiate game elements, while intuitive gameplay makes the experience approachable.
Steam Cloud support is included, and Remote Play lets you join sessions from phones or tablets, extending play beyond the desktop without altering core gameplay.
- Enable color‑blind mode if distinguishing tile colors is difficult.
- Try Remote Play on a tablet for a relaxed, on‑the‑go session.
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