The players are influential Amsterdam merchants at the end of the 19th century. They produce all kinds of goods, such as furniture, tiles and crystal, and store them in the warehouses near the port, and then trade them. By using cards wisely and choosing dice wisely, they gain valuable resources. This allows them to take over blocks of houses, build important buildings, hire workers and move their ships through the harbour.

Amsterdam is played over 12 rounds, each consisting of 4 phases. In the first phase you take a card from the supply and place it in your personal playing area. In the second phase, all dice are rolled and players choose 2 dice. Each player takes the number of resources on that die equal to the result. The result indicates how many you can take, but also how long it takes before you can use the resources in a round (turntable). Then you turn the wheel, you receive all the resources for that round and you can perform actions.

There are 8 different actions that can be performed in an order and combination of your choice. Try to take over blocks of houses in the city and transport the extracted resources to the various ports with your freight ship. You receive points by delivering goods. The house blocks earn points at the end of the game. Progress on the Amstel earns points but also contributes to the order of play in the rounds. By activating cards you receive benefits during your turn, but you also avoid penalties when you have too many cards under your player board. The goal is to collect as many coins and points as possible. After performing all actions the round is closed and after 12 rounds the game ends. The player with the most points is the winner.