From the publisher’s rulebook
Who goes first in Marco Polo II: In the Service of the Khan?
Hans im Glück English rules

The person who most recently returned from a journey starts and takes the first-player marker.
Rule details
Starting with that player, turns proceed clockwise.
The separate character draft begins with the last player and moves in reverse clockwise order.
A Travel action may change who begins a later round.
Source & edition
- Marco Polo II: In the Service of the Khan: English rulebookHans im Glück · Setup, step 13; starting character choice; gameplay; Travel · Checked 2026-09-24Printed page references: 2, 4, 5, 14
Image: © Hans im Glück · Hans im Glück
If your rules call for a random choice, use the player picker.
If there’s a tie
The rulebook doesn’t say. If you need a tie-break, pick a player at random.
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