This is a documentation for Board Game Arena: play board games online !
Gamehelpsantorini
Minimum System Requirements
This 3D game requires a "modern" web browser (2017 or newer, specifically Google Chrome 61+, Firefox 60+, or Safari 11+) and a graphics card that supports WebGL. In most cases, the game will detect incompatible hardware and display an error message at the start of the game. If you meet these minimum requirements and cannot load the game, please use the bug reporting system to vote/file a report. If another player at your table cannot load the game, please collectively agree to abandon without penalty.
How To Play
To setup the game, players each choose a power card and place 2 workers in their color on the board. On your turn, select one of your workers and perform both actions in order:
- Move this worker to an unoccupied neighboring space. You may move in any of the 8 directions as long as you do not move up more than 1 level.
- Win condition: If this worker moves up to level 3, you win!
- Loss condition: If none of your workers can move, you lose.
- Build a block (ground level, level 1, level 2) or dome (level 3) on an unoccupied space neighboring this worker's new location. You may build on any level.
- Loss condition: If this worker cannot build, you lose.
Power Cards
Power cards change the basic rules of the game. God Powers provide a powerful ongoing ability while Hero Powers provide a once-per-game ability. For your first games, we recommend playing with the 10 Simple Gods, then move on to All Gods once you've gotten the hang of the game.
During setup, each player chooses a power card from an offer of 2, 3, or 4 cards (depending on player count).
- Quick Setup: The system builds the offer.
- Tournament Setup: The first player builds the offer, selecting from a limited set of 6, 8, or 10 random cards.
- Custom Setup: The first player builds the offer, selected from all 50+ available cards.
Veteran players: Setup differs from the physical game. Once the offer is built, the first player chooses which power card will start the game (follow our suggestion for a balanced game). In turn order, each player selects a power card from those on offer. The first player receives the last remaining power card. Finally, whoever selected the starting power becomes the new first player.
No Powers (2 players)
With 2 players, it is possible to play the game without using power cards. We do not recommend this.
Golden Fleece Variant (2 players)
During setup, players do not select individual power cards. Instead, one power card is selected and placed beside the board. After placing workers, the first player places the Ram figure on the board, and the second player takes the first turn. At the start of each turn, any players neighboring the Ram figure receive the power for that turn. Players gain/lose the power throughout the game as they move around the board.
Team Game (4 players)
With 4 players, teams of two players share control of the workers in their color. Each player selects their own power card and cannot use their teammate's power. During setup, the first player on each team places the workers and the second player of each team takes the first turn. Players win or lose the game as a team.
Glossary
The following terms have special significance:
- Blocks are the square white pieces of a tower built on ground level, level 1, and level 2.
- Domes are the round blue pieces of a tower built on level 3. Domes are not blocks.
- Complete Towers consist of 3 blocks and a dome.
- Unoccupied spaces do not contain workers, domes, or the Ram figure (used only in the Golden Fleece variant).
- Move and Build are the normal turn actions.
- Force is a special action related to power cards. Note well that force is not the same as move (not a win condition).
- Tokens are special pieces related to power cards. Tokens cannot be placed on space that are occupied or contain another token. Tokens are removed from the board when built upon.
FAQs
How do I adjust the view of the 3D scene?
- Click and drag to rotate. Scroll the mouse wheel (on mobile: pinch with two fingers) to zoom.
Why can't I move up/down?
- Your opponent's power may restrict your movement (re: Athens, Aphrodite, Hades, Persephone).
Why didn't I just win?
- You did not move up to level 3. Being forced to a space (re: Apollo, Charon, Harpies, Minotaur, Odysseus), moving from level 3 to level 3, building under yourself (re: Zeus), or placing a new worker (re: Jason) do not count.
- Your power may restrict your win conditions (re: Dionsyus, Hera, Pegasus).
As Apollo or Minotaur, why can't I swap/push an opponent worker?
- You must move into the opponent's space, which means you must follow the normal movement rules (can only move up 1).
List of Simple Gods (10)
Apollo
Your Move: Your Worker may move into an opponent Worker's space by forcing their Worker to the space yours just vacated.
Artemis
Your Move: Your Worker may move one additional time, but not back to its initial space.
Athena
Opponent's Turn: If one of your Workers moved up on your last turn, opponent Workers cannot move up this turn.
Atlas
Your Build: Your Worker may build a dome at any level.
Demeter
Your Build: Your Worker may build one additional time, but not on the same space.
Hephaestus
Your Build: Your Worker may build one additional block (not dome) on top of your first block.
Hermes
Your Turn: If your Workers do not move up or down, they may each move any number of times (even zero), and then either builds.
Minotaur
Your Move: Your Worker may move into an opponent Worker's space, if their Worker can be forced one space straight backwards to an unoccupied space at any level.
Pan
Win Condition: You also win if your Worker moves down two or more levels.
Prometheus
Your Turn: If your Worker does not move up, it may build both before and after moving.
List of Additional Gods (34)
Aphrodite
Any Move: If an opponent Worker starts its turn neighboring one of your Workers, its last move must be to a space neighboring one of your Workers.
Ares
End of Your Turn: You may remove an unoccupied block (not dome) neighboring your unmoved Worker. You also remove any Tokens on the block.
Asteria
End of Your Turn: If one of your Workers moved down this turn, you may build a dome in any unoccupied space.
Bia (revised power)
Setup: Place your Workers first. Your workers must be placed in perimeter spaces.
Your Move: If your Worker moves into a space and the next space in the same direction is occupied by an opponent Worker, the opponent's Worker is removed from the game.
Castor & Pollux
Alternative Turn: Move with all of your Workers. Do not build.
Alternative Turn: Do not move. Build with all of your Workers.
Chaos
Setup: Shuffle all unused Simple God Powers into a face-down deck in your play area. Draw the top God Power, and place it face-up beside the deck.
Any Time: You have the Power of the face-up God Power. You must discard your current God Power and draw a new one after any turn in which at least one dome is built. If you run out of God Powers, shuffle them to create a new deck and draw the top one.
Charon
Your Move: Before your Worker moves, you may force a neighboring opponent Worker to the space directly on the other side of your Worker, if that space is unoccupied.
Chronus
Win Condition: You also win when there are at least five Complete Towers on the board.
Circe
Start of Your Turn: If an opponent's Workers do not neighbor each other, you alone have use of their power until your next turn.
Clio
Your Build: Place a Coin Token on each of the first 3 blocks your Workers build.
Opponent's Turn: Opponents treat spaces containing your Coin Tokens as if they contain only a dome.
Dionysus
Your Build: Each time a Worker you control creates a Complete Tower, you may take an additional turn using an opponent Worker instead of your own. No player can win during these additional turns.
Eros
Setup: Place your Workers anywhere along opposite edges of the board.
Win Condition: You also win if one of your Workers moves to a space neighboring your other Worker and both are on the first level (or the same level in a 3-player game).
Europa & Talus
Setup: Place the Talus Token on your God Power card.
End of Your Turn: You may relocate your Talus Token to an unoccupied space neighboring the Worker that moved.
Any Time: All players treat the space containing the Talus Token as if it contains only a dome.
Gaea
Setup: Place 2 extra Workers of your color on your God Power card.
Any Build: When a Worker builds a dome, Gaea may immediately place a Worker from her God Power card onto a ground-level space neighboring the dome.
Graeae (revised power)
Setup: When placing your Workers, place 3 of your color.
Your Build: Build with either Worker that did not move.
Hades
Opponent's Turn: Opponent Workers cannot move down.
Harpies
Opponent's Turn: Each time an opponent's Worker moves, it is forced space by space in the same direction until the next space is at a higher level or it is obstructed.
Hera
Opponent's Turn: An opponent cannot win by moving into a perimeter space.
Hestia
Your Build: Your Worker may build one additional time, but this cannot be on a perimeter space.
Hippolyta
Any Time: All Workers except your female Worker may only move diagonally.
Hypnus
Start of Opponent's Turn: If one of your opponent's Workers is higher than all of their others, it cannot move.
Iris
Your Move: If there is a Worker neighboring your Worker and the space directly on the other side of it is unoccupied, your Worker may move to that space regardless of its level.
Limus (revised power)
Opponent's Turn: Opponent Workers cannot build on spaces neighboring your Workers, unless building a dome.
Medusa
End of Your Turn: If possible, your Workers build in lower neighboring spaces that are occupied by opponent Workers, removing the opponent Workers from the game.
Morpheus
Start of Your Turn: Place a coin on your God Power card.
Your Build: Your Worker cannot build as normal. Instead, spend any number of coins from your God Power card (even zero) and build that many times.
Pegasus
Your Move: Your Worker may move up more than one level, but cannot win the game by doing so.
Persephone
Opponent's Turn: If possible, at least one Worker must move up this turn.
Poseidon
End of Your Turn: If your unmoved Worker is on the ground level, it may build up to three times.
Selene
Alternative Build: Your female Worker may build a dome at any level regardless of which Worker moved.
Terpsichore
Your Turn: All of your Workers must move, and then all must build.
Triton
Your Move: Each time your Worker moves into a perimeter space, it may immediately move again.
Tyche
Setup: Shuffle a deck of 6 cards in your play area.
End of Your Turn: Draw the top card of your deck. If it is 1 - 5, discard it. If it is 6, reshuffle your deck and you may take an additional turn. On that additional turn, do not draw the top card from your deck.
Urania
Your Turn: When your Worker moves or builds, treat opposite edges and corners as if they are adjacent so that every space has 8 neighbors.
Zeus
Your Build: Your Worker may build a block under itself.
List of Hero Powers (10)
Achilles
Your Turn: Once, your Worker builds both before and after moving.
Adonis (revised power)
End of Your Turn: Once, choose one of your Workers and an opponent Worker. If possible, the Workers must be neighboring at the end of your opponent's next turn.
Atalanta
Your Move: Once, your Worker moves any number of additional times.
Bellerophon
Your Move: Once, your Worker moves up two levels.
Heracles (revised power)
Alternative Build: Once, both your Workers build any number of domes (even zero) at any level.
Jason (revised power)
Setup: Place an extra Worker of your color on your God Power card.
Alternative Turn: Once, place your extra Worker on an unoccupied ground-level perimeter space. Then move and build with this Worker.
Medea (revised power)
End of Your Turn: Once, remove all blocks from under a Worker neighboring either of your Workers. You also remove any Tokens on the blocks.
Odysseus
Start of Your Turn: Once, force to unoccupied corner spaces any number of opponent Workers that neighbor your Workers.
Polyphemus
End of Your Turn: Once, your Worker builds up to 2 domes at any level on any unoccupied spaces on the board.
Theseus
End of Your Turn: Once, if any of your Workers is exactly 2 levels below any neighboring opponent Workers, remove one of those opponent Workers from play.