Life as a magical merchant was good (and profitable), but a miscast incantation has caused a mix-up that could spell the end: your precious items have been fractured, hidden, and jumbled up so much that not even Merlin could sort it out.

Even worse, the authorities are now wise to the operation, and they’re on the lookout for which crafts are witchcraft. You could always dump the goods, but that’s not the wizarding way. Fortunately, word on the sorcery street is that the inspectors are looking to line their pockets with gold, and the magic number is one hundred. First one to pay them off can get back to illegal business as usual.

You’ll need to restock your storehouse, reassemble your items, and sell them as quickly as possible, getting rid of the goods before the alley is inspected. Get caught with too many infamous items and you’ll have to bribe your way out of having your wand confiscated — and that’s no respectable way for an unrespectable wizard to make a living.

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In Arcane Alley, each player is a merchant wizard, competing to sell items for gold while minimizing the infamy gained from their leftover unsold items during a round’s inspection.  

 

Each player starts with a full storehouse of nine items. On your turn, you’ll try to make sets (three identical items in a row) in your storehouse, which awards you gold for the sale and removes those infamous items from your storehouse so you won’t get caught with them in the upcoming inspection.

 

You’ll continue selling until a player triggers the inspection and ends the round. Then, each player gains infamy for any items remaining in their storehouse. If those items gain you too much infamy, you’ll fail the inspection and be forced to spend your precious gold on fines.

 

To win the game, be the player with the most gold after three inspections.