KUR-NU-GI

About this board game

KUR-NU-GI is a worker-placement game for 1–5 players, with a listed play time of 150 minutes, released in 2022. Players travel as Souls through the darkness of the Sumerian Land of Death, seeking a return to the World of the Living.

Each Soul is accompanied by Shadows. These figures serve as both guides and guards, helping ensure that the Soul continues along the Path of the Dead rather than turning back. The journey is dangerous, and every decision contributes to the struggle to escape with as many Escape Points as possible.

Success depends on careful management of actions and resources. Players work with the Prayers spoken by the living for the dead, the power of Vri-ilu, and the Graces granted by the Sumerian gods. These divine powers come from:

• ANU, god of heaven
• ENLIL, ruler of the skies
• NINHURSAG, goddess of the earth
• ENKI, god of the depths of waters
• DUMUZID, lord of the underworld

The route through the Land of Death calls for a balance between immediate actions and longer-term resource management. Players must decide how to use their available power while working toward the escape that defines the game’s objective.

KUR-NU-GI also offers various ways to end the game early. As a result, the players’ chosen strategies influence not only their final Escape Points, but also how quickly the journey comes to an end. Every playthrough is a contest to manage the passage through darkness and make the return to life count.