1347: De Nigrae Pestis Ludo

About this board game

1347: De Nigrae Pestis Ludo is a strategic game for 2–6 players that takes about 180 minutes. Set during the arrival of the Black Death in 1347, it casts players as plague doctors seeking fame and prestige to become the most important figure in town.

Each player manages resource cards, money, grave diggers, and five influence tokens. Across three repeating periods, players invest hidden influence in six distinct areas of the board. Every investment offers from 0 to 4 influence points, and choosing where to commit your limited tokens is central to the game.

1. Investments: Players take turns secretly investing one influence token until none remain.
2. Actions: Beginning with Area 1, investments are revealed. The leading investor alone uses that area’s action, while other investors can convert unused points into money or grave diggers.
3. Upkeep: Players collect money from the Agrus, heal recruited plagued commoners, or maintain previously healed commoners.

These stages repeat for three periods, each lasting between six and nine rounds. Ties are resolved by player order, with the first player changing at the end of each round. Since losing an area can still provide useful resources, falling short of first place may be a deliberate part of your strategy.

Actions include recruiting commoners, transforming grave diggers into peasants to collect money, and building expansions that strengthen your influence in specific areas. Healed commoners provide additional influence tokens and grant an ability for as long as they remain healed.

At the end of 1347: De Nigrae Pestis Ludo, players gain wealth points for their remaining influence, coins, subject cards, developments, and grave diggers. The player with the greatest wealth becomes the town’s most important figure.