Dionysia

About this board game

Dionysia is a two-player, 15-minute drafting and tableau-building game set during Athens’ grand theatrical festival. Compete to write the more impressive drama and win the favor of the gods.

Players take turns choosing scene cards from a shared central stage, then adding each scene to their developing play. Start a new act, up to a maximum of three, or add a scene to the top or bottom of an existing act. Each play must ultimately contain three acts of three scenes.

The topmost scene in each act is its key scene, determining how that act scores at the end of the game. Many key scenes also provide immediate effects when placed, giving every addition the potential to influence both your tableau and your plans.

• Draft from three face-up scenes in the shared stage.
• Build three acts, each containing three scenes.
• Arrange dramatic elements into scoring patterns across rows and columns.
• Use key scenes to set scoring conditions and earn favor.

Every scene features dramatic elements that can contribute to specific patterns. Once both players complete their plays, each act is evaluated according to its key scene, with sets of three matching icons in a row or column earning the listed amount of favor.

Careful placement is central to Dionysia: choosing a scene means deciding where it belongs, which act should define its scoring condition, and how your developing patterns will take shape. The player with the most favor wins the playwriting competition.