Bruges

2013

In the board game Bruges, players become 15th-century merchants, jostling for power and prestige. Utilize strategic actions, build your influence, and outwit your opponents to emerge as the most prestigious merchant!

60
minutes

2 - 4
player(s)

13+

Medium

About the game

The board game ‘Bruges’ is a captivating journey into the 15th century, set in the historic city of Bruges, Belgium, known for its rich history of commerce and trade. This game masterfully combines strategic gameplay with a historically accurate setting, providing a truly immersive experience.

As players, you take on the roles of influential merchants looking to assert your dominance in this thriving city. Your task is to amass wealth, construct buildings, craft an influential network, and navigate the city’s ever-changing landscape.

Game components Unboxing the fun!

Bruges is a strategic board game that comes with a variety of components. Each component has a specific role and contributes to the overall gameplay. Here is a detailed description of each:

1. Game Board

The game board is where the players lay their cards and perform their actions. It serves as the main platform for gameplay. The board is divided into several sections, each representing a different aspect of the city of Bruges.

2. Cards

The game comes with 165 cards. These cards are divided into five colors (red, yellow, blue, brown and purple), and each color represents a different type of action or advantage that players can use during their turn. The cards are used to perform actions, build buildings, and hire characters.

3. Dice

There are five dice in the game, one for each color of the cards. The dice are rolled at the beginning of each round to determine which cards can be drawn from the deck and to determine the cost of certain actions.

4. Player Figures

There are 20 player figures, four for each of the five colors. These figures are used to represent players on the game board. They can be moved around the board to perform actions, claim buildings, and score points.

5. Player Markers

Player markers are used to keep track of each player’s score on the game board. There are five player markers, one for each player in the game.

6. Workers

The game includes 50 workers in 5 colors. Workers are used to perform various tasks throughout the game such as constructing buildings and activating character abilities.

7. Coins

The game includes 50 coins that serve as the main currency in the game. Coins are used to purchase resources, pay for actions, and hire characters.

8. Threat Markers

Threat markers are used to represent potential threats to the city of Bruges. These threats can lead to negative effects for the players, but can also be mitigated with the right actions or cards.

9. Majority Markers

Majority markers are used to indicate which player has the majority of a certain type of card or worker. Having the majority of a certain type can lead to extra points at the end of the game.

10. Canal Tiles

Canal tiles represent the canals of Bruges. Players can build canals to gain points and other advantages.

11. Statue Tokens

Statue tokens are used to represent statues that players can build for points. Each statue costs a certain amount of resources to build.

12. Bonus Tiles

Bonus tiles are awarded to players for achieving certain goals during the game. These goals can include building the most buildings, having the most workers, or having the most points at the end of the game.

Game setup Lay it out, line it up, let’s go

‘Bruges’ is a captivating board game that takes players through the twists and turns of 15th century Belgium. Setting up the game involves a number of steps to ensure that each player has the correct resources, and the game board is properly arranged. Here’s a detailed guide on how to set up ‘Bruges’:

Step 1: Prepare the Game Board

Begin by unfolding the game board and placing it in the center of the play area so that it is easily accessible to all players. The game board includes a belfry, a reputation track, and several houses – each of which will play a key role in the game.

Step 2: Shuffle and Place the Cards

There are two types of cards in ‘Bruges’: Character cards and Threat cards. Shuffle each set separately and place them face down on their designated spots on the game board. The Character cards should be divided into five stacks, each representing a different color.

Step 3: Prepare the Dice

Next, place all five colored dice in the dice tower. The colors of the dice should correspond with the colors of the Character card stacks.

Step 4: Distribute Initial Resources

Each player should start with 5 guilders (the currency in ‘Bruges’), 1 worker of each color (there are 5 colors in total), and 5 Character cards. The Character cards should be drawn from the top of the five stacks on the game board.

Step 5: Determine Player Roles

To determine who goes first, each player should roll a die. The player with the highest roll becomes the start player and takes the start player marker. The order of play will then proceed clockwise from the start player.

Step 6: Random Elements

Finally, shuffle the majority cards and place them face down next to the game board. Draw the top five cards and place them face up in a row next to the board. These cards introduce an element of randomness to the game, as they offer additional opportunities for players to earn points.

With these steps completed, you’re now ready to embark on your journey through ‘Bruges’. Happy gaming!

Game flow Round and round we go

Bruges is a strategic board game where players assume the roles of merchants in the 15th century city of Bruges, striving to maintain their status while dealing with various challenges. The game is played in multiple rounds, each divided into phases.

Game Setup:

Each player receives a canal, 5 guilders, a majority marker, a threat marker, and house seal.
The game board is set in the middle of the table with the dice and workers placed nearby.
The cards are shuffled and each player is dealt 5 cards.

Round Structure:

Each round in Bruges consists of three phases which are played in order. These phases are:

Draw Cards: At the beginning of each round, the start player rolls the dice. The result determines the prices of workers and threats on the threat spaces. Then, players draw cards in turn order. They can choose to draw from any deck they prefer. Each player will draw until they have five cards in their hand.
Take Actions: Starting with the first player and continuing clockwise, each player takes turns to perform actions. A player can take up to 4 actions per round depending on the number of cards they have. These actions include:
- Use a card to recruit a character.
- Use a card to build a house.
- Use a card to build a canal section.
- Use a card to remove a threat.
- Or use a card to take workers.
Check Majorities: After all players have either passed or used all their cards, the majorities in the different categories are checked. The player with the most seals of each type advances their majority marker on the majority track. If there’s a tie, the marker stays in its current position.

The game continues in this way until a player completes a canal, a deck of cards is used up, or a player places their last house. The player with the most victory points at the end of the game is declared the winner.

Players'turn One turn to rule them all

The game ‘Bruges’ involves strategic thinking and planning. During a player’s turn, they can take several actions depending on the cards they have in their hand and the resources they have available. The following is a detailed breakdown of a turn in ‘Bruges’:

1. Drawing Cards:

The first action a player must take on their turn is to draw cards. The player can choose cards from any of the five piles, with each pile corresponding to a different color. The color of the card determines what actions the player can take with it.

2. Playing Cards:

After drawing, the player can then play one of the cards from their hand. The card can be played in several ways:

As a Person: This involves paying the cost indicated on the card and placing it in the player’s tableau. These cards offer permanent bonuses or abilities that can be used throughout the game.
As a Building: This involves paying the cost in workers and placing the card in the player’s city. Buildings can provide a variety of benefits, including points, resources, or additional actions.
For its Action: Each card also has an action that can be taken instead of playing it as a person or building. These actions can provide immediate benefits or can be used to hinder other players.

3. Using Workers:

Workers can be used to build buildings or to carry out actions on person cards. The number of workers a player has is limited, so careful management of this resource is crucial for success.

4. Managing Threats:

Each player has a threat marker on each of the five colored tracks. When a player draws a card with a threat icon, they must advance the corresponding marker. If a marker reaches the end of the track, a disaster occurs with negative consequences for the player. Players can reduce their threat level by using certain actions or card abilities.

5. End of Turn:

Once a player has played a card and potentially used workers, their turn ends. They draw back up to their hand limit and then play passes to the next player. The game continues in this way until the end conditions are met.

The strategic choices in ‘Bruges’ involve deciding which cards to draw and how to use them, managing resources efficiently, and mitigating threats. Each decision can have a significant impact on a player’s success in the game.

End of the game All good games must come to an end

The game of Bruges ends after the round in which the draw pile of cards has been exhausted for the second time. This effectively means that a full game of Bruges lasts for a total of 4 rounds.

After the completion of the final round, players proceed to the final scoring. At this point, players should be aware that there are no actions that can be taken before final scoring. The scoring is based on the state of the game at the end of the final round.

Below are the detailed victory conditions:

Majority in the Council Chamber: The player with the most markers in the council chamber scores 4 victory points. In the case of a tie, the points are divided equally among the tied players, rounded down.
Canals: Players score points depending on the length of their longest canal. A 3-segment canal scores 3 points, a 4-segment canal scores 7 points, and a completed 5-segment canal scores 12 points.
Person Cards: Players tally the victory points depicted on the person cards in their tableau.
Threat Markers: Each player loses 1 victory point for each threat marker of a color in which they have not placed a worker.
Unused Workers: Each player scores 1 victory point for every 3 unused workers of the same color.
Statues: Each statue a player has built is worth 3 victory points.
Unspent Guilders: Each player scores 1 victory point for every 3 unspent guilders.

After all the points have been tallied, the player with the most victory points is declared the winner. In the event of a tie, the player with the most leftover guilders wins. If there is still a tie, the player with the most person cards in their tableau wins. If there is still a tie after that, the player who is earlier in player order wins.

Scoring Did you outsmart your rivals?

In the board game ‘Bruges’, players acquire victory points through a variety of activities. The player with the most victory points at the end of the game is declared the winner. Here’s a detailed breakdown of the scoring system:

Scoring during the game:

Buildings: When a player builds a building by playing a person card with a building symbol, they receive victory points as indicated on the card.
Person Cards: Some person cards provide victory points when certain conditions are met. The points are usually awarded immediately.
Canal Completion: When a player completes a canal section (both sides), they receive a token which provides victory points. The value of the token depends on the number of completed canals of all players.

Scoring at the end of the game:

Majorities: The player with the most person cards in each of the five colors receives 4 victory points. In case of a tie, all tied players receive the points.
Canal Completion: Each player receives victory points for each completed canal section. The number of points depends on the length of the canal.
Person Cards: Some person cards provide victory points at the end of the game if certain conditions are met.
Unspent Guilders: Every 3 Guilders a player has at the end of the game is worth 1 victory point.

In case of a tie at the end of the game, the tie-breaking rules are applied in the following order:

The player with the most leftover Guilders wins.
If still tied, the player with the most person cards wins.
If still tied, the player with the most canal tokens wins.
If there is still a tie, the victory is shared.

Particular Cases and Exceptions Wait… is that legal?

Bruges is a strategy board game with a multitude of unique mechanics and rules. While the game is generally straightforward, there are some special rules and exceptions that require clarification.

Master Card Usage: Master cards have a unique function in the game. They can’t be used in the same manner as the other cards. Instead, they are used only in the fifth phase of a round, and only if a player has the majority of persons in a guild.

Threat Markers: When a player rolls a die that matches the color of a threat marker on their player board, they must add another threat marker of that color. If a player collects three of the same color, a disaster occurs. However, it’s important to note that a player can use a worker of the same color to remove a threat marker at any time.

Fire: If a player accumulates three red threat markers, a fire breaks out. The player must discard a person or a canal tile.
Flood: If a player accumulates three blue threat markers, a flood occurs. The player must discard half of their workers (rounded down).
Plague: If a player accumulates three purple threat markers, a plague breaks out. The player must discard half of their guilders (rounded down).
Intrigue: If a player accumulates three brown threat markers, an intrigue occurs. The player must discard a person with the highest strength.
Raid: If a player accumulates three yellow threat markers, a raid occurs. The player must discard a number of guilders equal to the number of persons in their district.

Special Abilities: Many of the person cards have special abilities. These abilities are not optional and must be resolved immediately after the card is played. However, if the ability requires a cost and the player can’t or doesn’t want to pay it, they can choose not to use the ability.

Building Canals: When building a canal, the player must start from their district board and extend outward. Players cannot build a canal tile if there is not a lower numbered tile in place first. Canal tiles must be placed in ascending order.

The Statue: The statue is a unique tile that can be placed anywhere in a player’s district. It does not follow the normal placement rules for other tiles.

Only one statue may be placed per district.
The statue does not need to be placed adjacent to another tile.
Unlike other buildings, the statue does not need to match the color of any adjacent tiles.

End of Game: The game ends immediately after the round in which the draw pile is exhausted for the second time. Players then add up their points, and the player with the most points wins. If there is a tie, the player with the most leftover guilders wins.

Tips and tricks Play smarter, not harder!

Advanced Strategies for ‘Bruges’

1. Maximizing Canal Points: Building canals is one of the most reliable ways to earn points in ‘Bruges’. Aim to build as many as you can, but remember that you can only build one canal per turn. Plan your strategy around this limitation.

2. Utilize Workers Strategically: Workers are a valuable resource in ‘Bruges’. Use them to build your buildings and advance your canals. Don’t forget that you can also sell workers for money, which can help you out in a tight spot.

3. Use Threat Markers to Your Advantage: If you can manage to accumulate six threat markers of the same color, you’ll earn a statue, which is worth four points. It’s a risky strategy, but it can pay off big time if you’re able to pull it off.

Beginner Tips for ‘Bruges’

Keep an eye on your opponent’s progress. It’s easy to get caught up in your own game, but watching your opponent can give you valuable insight into what strategies are working.
Don’t neglect your buildings. They’re a vital part of the game and can give you a significant advantage if used correctly.
Try to maintain a balanced hand. Having a variety of cards in your hand will give you more options and flexibility in your strategy.

Common Mistakes to Avoid in ‘Bruges’

Ignoring Threats: Threats can lead to serious consequences in ‘Bruges’. Don’t ignore them. Try to mitigate them as much as possible.
Not Planning Ahead: ‘Bruges’ is a game that requires strategy and planning. If you play your cards without a plan, you may find yourself in a difficult position later in the game.
Not Using Your Cards Wisely: Each card in ‘Bruges’ has multiple uses. Make sure you’re making the most out of each one. It could be the difference between winning and losing.

Ways to Optimize Gameplay in ‘Bruges’

1. Optimize Your Hand: Try to keep a balanced hand with a variety of card colors. This will give you more options during your turn.

2. Utilize Your Characters: Each character in ‘Bruges’ has a unique ability. Make sure you’re using these abilities to their fullest potential.

3. Balance Risk and Reward: ‘Bruges’ is a game of calculated risks. Be sure to weigh the potential rewards against the potential risks before making a decision.