From the publisher’s rulebook

Who goes first in Dale of Merchants?

Snowdale Design English original game, ©2021, rules file 6.0

Whoever woke earliest today starts. For consecutive games, one of the previous game's losers starts the next game.

Read the publisher’s rulebook

Rule details

Turns proceed clockwise, with an action phase followed by cleanup.

The consecutive-game instruction does not specify how to choose between multiple losing players.

This answer covers the original game's regular rules. Tournament rules and the later anniversary edition are separate.

If there’s a tie

The cited starting-player instruction does not specify a tie-break. We don’t infer one.

Source & edition

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Found a different instruction in your edition? Send a correction with the game, edition, and source.