Ostia

About this board game

Ostia is a strategy game for 1–4 players with a play time of 120 minutes, in which players lead a large fleet to explore the ocean, trade, and develop a port.

The game uses a Mancala system as the foundation for its actions. Players choose spaces on their personal boards, produce resources, move ships around the board, and use the final placement to determine what happens next.

The core sequence of play unfolds through a series of connected decisions:

• Choose one of the six spaces on your board.
• Produce the corresponding resources according to the number of ships in that space.
• Take all the ships from that space and place them one by one clockwise.
• Take the action associated with the space where the last ship was placed.

By repeating this process, you can build a new ship on your personal board, strengthen an existing ship into a larger one, or build a building in the harbor. The placement of ships therefore drives both resource production and the actions available to you.

In Ostia, managing the spaces on your board is central to developing your fleet and expanding the port. Each choice helps shape the next sequence of movement and action, making the Mancala mechanism an important part of your strategy.

Whether playing alone or with up to four players, the goal is to make good use of your fleet and personal board while working toward the highest honor. Released in 2022, Ostia combines ocean exploration, trade, port development, and ship management in a substantial strategy experience.