Yinzi: Ming

Yinzi: Ming is a new edition of the original Yinzi, first published in 2019. Drawing on feedback from hundreds of players, this version introduces updated artwork, refined graphic design, and completely revised rules to offer a fresh and immersive experience.

Set during the Ming dynasty (1368–1644), a period of unprecedented economic expansion in China, Yinzi: Ming captures the transformative power of global trade. During this era, the flow of silver from the Americas and Europe to China reshaped the world economy, marking what many consider the true beginning of globalization.

Within China, the rise of social mobility led to the rapid growth of cities, particularly in the lower Yangtze region, which became the country’s main hub for wheat production. In addition to wheat and rice, large-scale cultivation of crops like tea, fruit, and sugarcane flourished. Many rural peasants, drawn by economic opportunity, migrated to cities, transforming into merchants and artisans. These newly urbanized workers found employment in private and state-run factories, producing valuable commodities such as paper, porcelain, refined sugar, and silk textiles.
Fueled by the liberalized economy, trade and commerce boomed, further supported by the Ming government’s infrastructure projects, including the construction of canals, roads, and bridges. This era also saw the rise of powerful merchant clans who amassed significant wealth.

In Yinzi — meaning "silver" — players take on the role of these merchant clans, tasked with developing key regions of China in the late Ming period, specifically along the final 200 kilometers of the Yangtze River as it approaches the China Sea.

Players must plant crops, sell goods to rural and urban markets, develop raw materials, and build or upgrade factories. The goal is to produce and deliver goods to ships waiting in port. However, to succeed, players will also need to improve their river transport capabilities along the Yangtze, balancing growth and efficiency to outmaneuver their competitors.