Città-Stato

About this board game

Città-Stato is a board game for 1–4 players that takes about 90 minutes, set in the twelfth century amid the rise of powerful European maritime republics.

In this historical setting, the Holy Crusades and expanding merchant routes have helped certain cities extend their influence throughout the Mediterranean Sea. You represent one of these maritime republics, each with unique characteristics, and must make it stand out from the others.

Your republic seeks prestige in several areas while also developing and maintaining its Republican values. A high score may not be enough to win if your republic cannot preserve its Republican nature, making the balance between ambition and civic ideals central to the game.

• Gain commercial, war, and political prestige.
• Develop and maintain your republic’s Republican values.
• Use bag building to shape the actions available to you.

Bag building is the core mechanism of Città-Stato. You acquire cubes and place them in your bag; at the start of each round, you draw several cubes. Their number and color determine which actions they enable, giving your draws an important role in deciding your available choices.

The game lasts seven rounds. During each round, players can continue taking actions until everyone has passed, while action cards expand the possibilities available to them.

Careful planning can reveal interesting combinations between your cubes and action cards. Città-Stato rewards players who can turn their developing bag into effective choices while pursuing prestige without losing sight of the values that define their republic.