Lisboa

2017

Immerse yourself in the reconstruction of post-earthquake Lisbon in the 18th century. Use strategy, influence and cunning to gather wigs and win this historic board game.

120
minutes

1 - 4
player(s)

12+

Heavy

About the game

Lisboa is a fascinating board game that takes you on an immersive journey back in time to 1755, to the city of Lisbon, Portugal. This was a significant year for the city, as it was devastated by an earthquake, followed by a tsunami and then fires, which together destroyed much of the city. As players, you step into the shoes of influential nobles tasked with rebuilding the city and restoring its former glory.

The game’s theme involves city-building, planning and strategy, as you navigate the political and economic challenges of the 18th century. With a keen eye for detail, the game’s design beautifully captures the cultural and architectural elements of historic Lisbon. The game board is a stunning representation of the city’s downtown area, featuring iconic landmarks such as the Royal Palace and the famous Rua Augusta Arch.

Game components Unboxing the fun!

The game of ‘Lisboa’ is a complex and immersive experience that involves a variety of components. Understanding each of these components is crucial to mastering the game. Here’s a list of every component included in ‘Lisboa’, along with their descriptions and interactions with the game:

1. Game Board:

The game board is the main component where all the actions take place. It is a map of downtown Lisboa and is used to track player progress, city rebuilding, and influence in the court.

2. Player Boards:

Each player receives a player board. This board is where players manage their resources, track their income, and secure their plans for city rebuilding.

3. Player Counters:

Player counters are used to track various aspects of the game, including the player’s influence, treasury, and building progress.

4. Wooden Meeples:

These pieces represent the workers. Players use them to perform various actions such as constructing buildings, visiting nobles, and trading goods.

5. Cards:

The game includes several types of cards: Noble cards, Ship cards, Treasury cards, and Public Building cards. Each type of card has a different function and is used to perform specific actions or gain certain advantages.

6. Tiles:

The game includes two types of tiles: Building tiles and Rubble tiles. Building tiles are used to construct buildings on the game board, while Rubble tiles are collected when players clear rubble from the city’s streets.

7. Coins:

Coins serve as the main currency in the game. Players use coins to perform various actions, such as hiring workers or purchasing goods.

8. Goods Cubes:

These cubes represent the four types of goods in the game: Gold, Books, Cloth, and Tools. Players can trade, sell, or use these goods for various purposes.

9. Clergy Tiles:

These tiles represent the clergy’s influence. Players can acquire these tiles to gain favor with the church, which can provide various benefits and advantages.

10. Scoring Markers:

Scoring markers are used to track players’ points throughout the game. The player with the most points at the end of the game is the winner.

11. Influence Discs:

Players use these discs to track their influence in the court. Higher influence allows for more powerful actions and greater rewards.

12. Officials:

These pieces are used to represent the players’ officials in the court. They can be used to gain influence or carry out actions on behalf of the players.

Note: The interactions of each component may vary based on the current state of the game and the decisions of the players.

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

Lisboa is a complex and intricate board game that requires careful setup to ensure a balanced and enjoyable game. Follow this step-by-step guide to properly set up the game.

Step 1: Setting up the Game Board

To begin with, place the main game board in the center of the table where it’s accessible to all players. Make sure all players can easily reach it and there’s enough space around the board for each player’s individual boards.

Step 2: Player Boards and Roles

Each player should take a player board. This is where they will manage their resources and plan their strategies. There are no unique roles in Lisboa, so all players start with equal abilities and opportunities.

Step 3: Initial Resources

Each player begins the game with 10 Reis (the currency in Lisboa).
Each player also starts with one set of five different goods: books, cloth, tools, gold, and spices.
Players also start with two royal favor tokens.
Additionally, each player will get two officials, which are placed on their respective spots on the player board.

Step 4: Setting up the Nobles

There are four noble tiles – Marquis, Builder, King, and Cardinal. Shuffle these tiles and place them randomly on the designated noble spaces on the game board.

Step 5: Setting up the Decks

There are three decks of cards in the game – Decree, Ship, and Treasury Cards. Shuffle each deck separately and place them in their respective spaces on the game board.

Step 6: Random Elements

There are a few random elements in Lisboa that add to the game’s replayability and strategic depth.

Public Buildings: Shuffle the public building tiles and place them in a face-down stack. Draw the top four tiles and place them face-up in the public building display.
Storefronts: Shuffle the storefront tiles and randomly place one on each space on the game board with a storefront icon.
Rubble: Place the rubble cubes in a bag or opaque container. Draw one randomly and place it on each space on the game board with a rubble icon.

Once you’ve completed all these steps, you’re ready to start playing Lisboa. Enjoy the game!

Game flow Round and round we go

Lisboa is a complex and strategic board game that requires careful planning and strategy. The game is divided into rounds, and each round consists of two phases: the action phase and the decree phase.

Action Phase

In the action phase, players can perform one of four actions:

Visit the Royal Court: This action allows a player to add a noble to their portfolio, which will provide them with additional abilities and resources.
Sponsor an Event: This action requires a player to pay money and resources, but it allows them to add a new event to the city, potentially providing them with victory points and other benefits.
Open a Business: This action requires a player to pay resources and potentially money, but it allows them to open a new business in the city. This can provide them with steady income and potentially victory points.
Build a Public Building: This action requires a player to pay resources and potentially money, but it allows them to build a public building in the city. This can provide them with a large number of victory points and other benefits.

Decree Phase

After all players have taken their action for the round, the game moves into the decree phase. During this phase, players have the opportunity to influence the future direction of the city by proposing decrees.

Propose a Decree: A player may propose a decree by playing a card from their hand. This card represents a potential law or policy that could be implemented in the city.
Vote on Decrees: After all players have had the chance to propose a decree, the players then vote on which decrees should be implemented. Players can influence the outcome of this vote by spending influence points.
Implement Decrees: The decrees that receive the most votes are implemented. These decrees can have a wide range of effects, from providing players with additional resources to changing the rules of the game.

After the decree phase, the round ends. The game continues in this manner, with players taking actions and proposing decrees, until a predetermined end condition is reached. At that point, the player with the most victory points is declared the winner.

Players'turn One turn to rule them all

In the board game ‘Lisboa’, a player’s turn consists of a series of possible actions and strategic choices that influence their progress and the overall gameplay. Here is a detailed breakdown:

1. Playing a Card

At the beginning of each turn, a player must play a card. This can either be a Noble Card, which allows you to visit a Noble, or a Treasury Card, which allows you to visit the Royal Court.

Noble Card: By playing a Noble Card, you get to visit a noble and perform the noble’s action. Each noble offers a different benefit such as producing goods, building stores, or opening public buildings. This can help players gain influence, score points, or advance in other ways.
Treasury Card: Alternatively, by playing a Treasury Card, you can visit the Royal Court and perform two courtier actions. These can involve obtaining royal favors, buying goods, or acquiring new cards. This choice generally offers more flexibility but can also be more costly.

2. Actions

After playing a card, the player can perform up to two actions. These actions depend on the type of card played and the choice of the player. They include:

Producing Goods: This requires the player to spend workers and/or money. It can provide goods that can be used in later turns for building or trading.
Building Stores or Public Buildings: This requires the player to spend goods and/or money. It can provide immediate benefits and influence points, as well as ongoing benefits for each round.
Obtaining Royal Favors: This allows the player to earn benefits from the King, such as discounted prices or additional actions. However, it requires the player to spend influence points.
Buying Goods: This requires the player to spend money but can provide goods that are necessary for other actions.
Acquiring New Cards: This requires the player to spend influence points but can provide new options for future turns.

3. End of Turn

At the end of the turn, the player can choose to keep one of the cards in their hand or discard it to draw a new one. This can allow the player to prepare for future turns and adapt their strategy based on the current game situation.

In ‘Lisboa’, the strategic choices made during a player’s turn can significantly affect the gameplay. By carefully choosing which cards to play and which actions to perform, players can gain an advantage and increase their chances of winning.

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

The game of ‘Lisboa’ ends when the end game trigger is activated. This trigger is set off when any one of three conditions is met:

When the last Royal Favor is claimed from the Royal Court,
When the players have collectively built all the Stores, or
When the last card is drawn from any of the Architect decks.

Once any of these conditions occur, the game continues until the end of the current round so that all players have an equal number of turns. After that, one final round takes place in which all players can take one last turn.

Once the final round is completed, the final scoring phase begins. This involves:

Calculating Public Building scores: Players get victory points (VPs) for each Public Building in the same row or column as their completed Stores.
Checking for Royal Favor: Players earn VPs for each Royal Favor they have collected during the game. The points awarded depend on the number of Favors collected.
Counting Clergy Tiles: Players accumulate VPs based on the Clergy Tiles they have collected.
Scoring sets of Officials: Players gain VPs for each set of Officials they have. A set consists of one Official of each type: Builder, Clergy, and Noble.
Counting remaining goods and money: Players convert every set of 10 Real (the game’s currency), goods, and Treasury into 1 VP.

The player with the most victory points at the end of the final scoring is declared the winner of the game. In the event of a tie, the player with the most remaining money wins. If there is still a tie, the player with the most goods wins.

Scoring Did you outsmart your rivals?

In the board game ‘Lisboa’, the scoring system is multifaceted and includes several different ways to earn points. Here’s a detailed breakdown:

Building Stores and Public Buildings:

When a player constructs a store, they earn points equal to the number of royal favors they have of the corresponding type.
For each public building in the row or column of the player’s newly built store, the player gains 1 point.

Producing Goods:

Players can earn points by producing goods. The amount of points earned is dependent on the type of goods produced.

Shipping Goods:

When players ship goods, they earn points based on the value of the shipped goods.

End of the Game Scoring:

At the end of the game, players earn additional points for their remaining stores and public buildings, as well as any completed sets of goods.
Players also earn points for any unused royal favors and for the rubble cubes in their personal supply.

In the event of a tie, the game has several tie-breaking rules:

The player with the most remaining money wins.
If there is still a tie, the player with the most remaining goods wins.
If there is still a tie, the player with the most royal favors wins.

If there’s still a tie after all these tie-breakers, the victory is shared between the tied players.

Particular Cases and Exceptions Wait… is that legal?

Lisboa is a complex, strategic board game that’s rich in historical context. To fully enjoy the game, players need to be aware of some specific rules, exceptions, and clarifications. Here are some key points to remember:

1. Royal Favors:

Each player is allowed to have only one Royal Favor of each type. If a player wishes to gain a Royal Favor they already own, they can simply upgrade the existing one.
Royal Favors cannot be traded, sold, or used for any other purpose other than its intended use.

2. Public Buildings:

Public Buildings can be placed on any open City tile, but not on a Ship tile. Once a Public Building is placed, it cannot be moved or replaced.
When a Public Building is placed on a City tile, the player immediately gains influence in the corresponding Noble’s office.

3. Officials:

Officials are not considered as ‘cards in hand’. They do not count towards a player’s hand limit.
Players may only place Officials in a Noble’s office when visiting the Noble, either by paying the cost or by using a Courtier.

4. Decrees:

Decrees are permanent and remain with the player until the end of the game. They cannot be discarded or exchanged.
Each Decree card provides a unique end-game scoring opportunity. Players should strategize their game play accordingly.

5. Clergy Tiles:

Each Clergy tile offers a one-time bonus or an ongoing advantage. Once a Clergy tile is taken, it cannot be replaced or exchanged.
Players may only possess a maximum of five Clergy tiles.

6. Treasury:

Players cannot spend money directly from the Treasury. They first need to move it to their personal supply.
Money in the Treasury does not count towards a player’s total money at the end of the game.

Remember, Lisboa is a game of strategy and resource management. Understanding these special rules will help you plan better and improve your gameplay experience.

Tips and tricks Play smarter, not harder!

Lisboa is a complex and strategic board game that requires careful planning and strategy. Here are some advanced strategies, beginner tips, common mistakes to avoid, and ways to optimize gameplay.

Advanced Strategies:

Focus on the Clergy Tiles: They offer a variety of powerful bonuses that can greatly enhance your gameplay. Utilizing them effectively can give you a significant advantage over your opponents.
Balance your Influence and Gold: Both resources are crucial to your success in the game. It’s important to strike a balance between the two to ensure you have the resources you need when you need them.
Plan your Building Strategy: Buildings can offer a lot of points, but they also require a lot of resources. Make sure to plan your building strategy carefully to make the most of your resources.

Beginner Tips:

Learn the Basics: Lisboa has a lot of rules and mechanics. Make sure to spend some time learning the basics before jumping in.
Start Small: Don’t try to do everything at once. Focus on a few key strategies and build from there.
Practice: The best way to get better at Lisboa is to play it. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t win your first few games. Keep playing and you’ll get better.

Common Mistakes to Avoid:

Ignoring the Nobles: The nobles can provide valuable bonuses and opportunities. Ignoring them can put you at a disadvantage.
Spreading Yourself Too Thin: It’s easy to get overwhelmed by all the options in Lisboa. Try to focus on a few strategies rather than trying to do everything.
Not Planning Ahead: Lisboa is a game of strategy. Failing to plan ahead can leave you scrambling for resources and points.

Ways to Optimize Gameplay:

Know Your Opponents: Understanding your opponents’ strategies can help you anticipate their moves and plan your own accordingly.
Use Your Resources Wisely: Resources are limited. Make sure to use them efficiently and effectively.
Take Advantage of Opportunities: Keep an eye out for opportunities to score points or gain resources. These can often make the difference between winning and losing.