Buru

About this board game

Buru is a mid-weight Euro-style board game for 1–4 players, featuring five rounds of exploration, commerce, diplomacy, and competition on the remote island of Buru. A game takes approximately 75 minutes.

Set in the 14th-century Majapahit empire, Buru casts players as nobles serving King Hayam Wuruk and his vizier, Gajah Mada. Having arrived on the island, each noble seeks to earn the residents’ esteem and ultimately win the favor of the King.

During each round, players secretly deploy explorers to Buru’s four regions. Their parties help gather resources, recruit islanders, assign them to tasks, and pay tribute to the spirits revered across the island. These actions form the foundation of your efforts to build influence among Buru’s residents.

Esteem can be earned in several ways, creating multiple paths toward the final contest:

• Pay tribute to the island’s spirits.
• Please the elders and task local nobles.
• Fulfill the king’s decrees.
• Hold a totem when any player pays tribute to that spirit.

Every decision contributes to your standing as the five rounds unfold. You and your fellow nobles must compete for the islanders’ approval while pursuing the opportunities created by exploration, trade, recruitment, and diplomacy.

At the end of Buru, the player with the most esteem wins and is declared the new governor of Buru. Can your noble earn enough respect to secure the island and gain the favor of the King?