Card game
Century: Spice Road
Trade turmeric, saffron, cardamom and cinnamon in a quick card game
- 2–5best with 2-4
- 30–45 minper game
- About 5 minto set up
- 8+years
- Easy
- Nonereading
The official edition, on Amazon.in
There's no Indian edition, so this is the official imported game. Amazon shows today's price, the seller and delivery.
Paid link. We may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.
The game in a nutshell
Century: Spice Road is a card game for 2 to 5 players in which you collect, upgrade and trade spices to fill orders worth points. You build a hand of merchant cards that turn cheap turmeric into saffron, cardamom and cinnamon, and the best chain of cards wins. It takes about 10 minutes to teach and 30 to 45 minutes to play, so it suits families, couples and friends who enjoyed Splendor and want a little more to think about.
Is Century: Spice Road right for you?
Great if
- Families with children aged 8 and up who can plan a few steps ahead
- Splendor fans looking for a fresh engine-building puzzle that takes up to five players
- Quick strategy evenings: four simple actions and short turns
- Indian homes, where the four spices are already kitchen favourites, which makes the rules easy to remember
Skip it if
- You want lots of player interaction: you race for the same cards but never attack each other
- You usually play with five: there is more waiting between turns
- You want a strong story or theme: the spice trade is mostly a backdrop
How Century: Spice Road plays
Set-up: lay out five point cards face up, with gold coins above the first and silver coins above the second (two of each per player), then lay out six merchant cards. Each player gets a caravan card and two starting cards, one that makes two turmeric and one that upgrades spices. Starting spices depend on your seat: the first player gets three turmeric and later players a little more.
- Time to teach: about 10 minutes.
- Reading and language: Cards show only spice cubes and arrows, so there is nothing to read during play and you can teach it in any language. The rulebook is in English; there is no Hindi edition.
Century: Spice Road - How To Play · Watch It Played
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Your turn, step by step
- 1Choose
Do one thing: play a card, acquire a merchant card, rest to take your played cards back, or claim a point card.
- 2Trade
Played cards give, upgrade or swap spices, from turmeric up to cinnamon; your caravan holds ten.
- 3Claim
Pay the spices shown on a point card to take it; the first two slots also carry a gold or silver coin.
- 4Win
After someone claims their fifth point card (sixth with two or three players), finish the round; most points from cards, coins and non-turmeric spices wins.
The full explanation: how a game of Century: Spice Road goes
On your turn you do one of four things. Play a card from your hand: spice cards give you cubes, upgrade cards move a spice one step up the ladder (turmeric, then saffron, then cardamom, then cinnamon), and trade cards swap one set of spices for another. Acquire a merchant card: the leftmost is free, and for any other you leave one spice on each card you skip. Rest: take all your played cards back into your hand. Claim: pay the spices shown on a point card and take it.
Your caravan holds at most ten spices. Claiming the first or second point card also earns the gold or silver coin above it. The game ends after the round in which someone claims their fifth point card (their sixth with two or three players). Add up point cards, gold coins (3 each), silver coins (1 each) and 1 point for every spice except turmeric; the most points wins, and a tie goes to the player who took a turn last.
Tip: cards you play stay out until you Rest, so the heart of the game is building a hand whose cards feed each other. Cheap point cards can end the game quickly while others are still building up. The yellow, red, green and brown cubes stand for haldi, kesar, elaichi and dalchini, which gives Indian families an easy way to remember which spice is worth more.
What's in the box
- 5Caravan cards
one per player, holds up to 10 spices - 10Starting merchant cards
each player begins with two - 43Merchant cards
- 36Point cards
- 105Wooden spice cubes
yellow turmeric, red saffron, green cardamom and brown cinnamon - 4Spice bowls
- 20Metal coins
gold and silver - 1Rulebook
Box: 27.6 × 19 × 7 cm, 0.8 kg. Handy to know for gifting and travel.
Contents are from the publisher's English Century page; the French page lists the same items, counting the 10 starting cards among 53 merchant cards. The play mat that some reviewers mention was sold separately. Golem Edition has different components.
Where to buy
The official edition, on Amazon.in
There's no Indian edition, so this is the official imported game. Amazon shows today's price, the seller and delivery.
Opens Amazon.in in a new tab.
There is no Indian or Hindi edition of Century: Spice Road and we found no Indian distributor, so every copy sold here is imported. The box to get is Plan B Games' English edition, the original Spice Road that started the series. The listing we link names Plan B Games in its web address, and our Amazon.in link goes to that English box.
How to make sure you get a genuine copyA little care before you click.
- The box should carry the Plan B Games name and credit Emerson Matsuuchi, with art by Fernanda Suárez
- The barcode should read 826956400004, and the item code PBG40000EN
- It is a box of about 28 x 19 x 7 cm, weighing around 0.8 kg
- Inside: 5 caravan cards, 53 merchant cards, 36 point cards, 105 wooden cubes in four colours, 4 spice bowls and 20 metal coins
- An unusually cheap copy, plastic cubes, cardboard coins or missing bowls are warning signs
We link to one Amazon.in listing that we've checked against the maker's own information. We don't show prices: Amazon shows today's price, the seller and delivery. Paid link. We may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.
What reviewers and players say
Reviewers call Century: Spice Road a polished, quick strategy game for families and friends: four simple actions, fast turns and a satisfying puzzle of chaining cards to turn cheap spices into valuable ones. Many compare it with Splendor; some prefer Century's variety and theme, others find Splendor's steady acceleration more exciting, and one suggests owning both. The metal coins, spice bowls and card art get praise. The complaints are that the trading theme feels thin, there is little direct interaction, five-player games involve more waiting, and a few reviewers expect it to feel samey after many plays.
What people love
- Teaches in a few minutes, with only four actions
- Fast turns and little waiting with two to four players
- Satisfying chains of cards that turn cheap spices into valuable ones
- Metal coins, spice bowls and striking card art
Common complaints
- The spice-trading theme feels pasted on
- Little direct interaction, and more waiting with five players
- Some reviewers expect it to grow stale after many plays
Based on 4 reviews and discussions
- Review Century: Spice Road (Game Review by Chris Wray, April 2017) · The Opinionated Gamers
- Review Century: Spice Road review (Matt Jarvis, August 2017) · Tabletop Gaming
- Review Century: Spice Road (2017) (Pauline Belford, July 2017) · Meeple Like Us
- Review Review: Century: Spice Road (Alex, June 2017) · Big Red Barrel
Summarised in our own words from the sources above. We don't use Amazon reviews or ratings.
More like Century: Spice Road
Our picks if Century: Spice Road isn't quite right
| Feature |
Century: Spice Road |
7 Wonders Duel |
Splendor |
Azul |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Players | 2–5 | 2 | 2–4 | 2–4 |
| Best with | 2-4 | 2 | 2-3 | 2-4 |
| Play time | 30–45 min | 20–30 min | 30 min | 30–45 min |
| Age | 8+ | 10+ | 10+ | 8+ |
| Rules | Easy | Medium | Easy | Easy |
| Indian edition | Import | Import | Import | Yes |
| Why look at it | This page | A deeper card-building strategy game if you mostly play as a pair | The game Century is most often compared with: buy cards that make later buys easier and race for points | Also from Plan B Games: a calm, quick family strategy game for 2 to 4 |
More from Plan B Games
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Build an ancient city by picking one card and passing the rest.
7 Wonders Duel
The 7 Wonders civilisation race, rebuilt as a tense 30-minute duel
Splendor
A quick gem-trading race where every card makes the next easier.
Wingspan
Calm card game about birds where every new bird boosts your turns.
Splendor Duel
Splendor rebuilt for two: gem lines, card powers, three ways to win
Questions people ask about Century: Spice Road
Is Century: Spice Road better than Splendor?
They are close cousins: in both you gather resources to buy cards and race for points. Reviewers who prefer Century like its card chains, more varied strategies and five-player option; those who prefer Splendor like its simpler set-up and steady sense of growth. If you enjoy one, you will probably enjoy the other.
Is Century: Spice Road available in India?
Yes, as an imported game. There is no Indian or Hindi edition. Our Buy on Amazon.in button goes to a listing for Plan B Games' English box.
What is the difference between Century: Spice Road and Century: Golem Edition?
Golem Edition is the same game re-themed: instead of trading spices on the spice road, you trade magic crystals to build golems, with new fantasy art. Buy one or the other, not both, unless you collect the art.
Is Century: Spice Road good for two players?
Yes. It plays 2 to 5, and with two the game runs until someone claims six point cards, so you still have time to build up. Turns are quick and there is little waiting, which makes it a good pick for couples.
What age is Century: Spice Road for?
The box says 8 and up. There is nothing to read on the cards, so children who can count spices and think a couple of moves ahead can play; the four kitchen spices make the upgrade order easy to remember.
Game facts
- Designed by
- Emerson Matsuuchi
- Publisher
- Plan B Games (now Next Move Games)
- First published
- 2017
- Players
- 2–5
- Barcode
- 826956400004
- Language
- No reading – Cards show only spice cubes and arrows, so there is nothing to read during play and you can teach it in any language. The rulebook is in English; there is no Hindi edition.
- Box size and weight
- 27.6 × 19 × 7 cm, 0.8 kg
Sources & photo creditsThe references behind this guide.
Facts on this page come from the publisher, the Indian maker or distributor, and the sources below. Photos are credited under each one.
- Next Move Games (formerly Plan B Games) – Century trilogy page, English (contents, players, time, rules)
- Century: Spice Road rules, English, 2024 (PDF, Plan B Games)
- Next Move Games – Century Big Box
- Asmodee UK – Century: Spice Road, item PBG40000EN (box size, weight, age)
- Wikipedia – Century: Spice Road
- Gameistry – Century: Spice Road (store SKU PBG40000EN)
- Green Elephant Games – Indian publisher and distributor (no Century title listed)