Castello Methoni

About this board game

Castello Methoni is a 3–5-player board game with an approximately 50-minute play time, in which players compete to take over castles using money rather than military power.

Set against the importance of Methoni’s harbor during the Byzantine years and the ambitions of the Republic of Venice, the game focuses on expanding territories and becoming the most powerful lord of Methoni. Rich Venetian traders seek influence along the route from Venice to the Eastern markets.

On a turn, a player plays a card showing a particular type of terrain. They then build a wall on the corresponding place and position one of their own houses, along with one other house, on either side of that wall. As walls are added, separate areas gradually take shape.

• Build walls by playing terrain cards.
• Close areas to create domains.
• Pay rivals who have houses inside a newly completed domain.
• Merge adjacent domains by paying money.

Creating a domain can reward opponents as well as the builder, making each expansion an important financial decision. When a domain is built next to another domain, its owner may merge them by paying money, opening further possibilities for territorial growth.

The game ends when there are no walls left in the supply. Players then compare the points they have collected from their coins and domains. In Castello Methoni, careful placement, payments, and expanding connected territories determine who claims the most points and wins.