Reviving Kathmandu

About this board game

Reviving Kathmandu is a bidding and set-collection game for 1–6 players, with a playing time of about 40 minutes. In the game, players become builders traveling to Nepal and competing to earn the title of Most Respected Architect in Kathmandu.

Across 8 rounds, players bid on construction-material cards, collect them, and use them to create prestigious Monuments. These include Buddhas, Shrines, Stupas, and Pagodas, with points awarded for completing them, fulfilling special objectives, and paying attention to color.

Every round follows three phases:

• Bid: Players place one coin face-down on a bid spot. Each spot targets two cards in the same row or column.
• Collect: Coins are revealed and card winners are determined by the bidding rules, including bid value, position, and the location of the coin relative to the card. Each player collects two cards from the Market and/or the red deck.
• Build: Players may use as many cards from their hands as they wish to construct Monuments. Cards slide beneath one another to reveal each continuing section.

Buddhas are complete as soon as they are built, while other Monuments are completed once they contain all their required sections. Completing a Monument immediately scores points. After four rounds, players have only one coin remaining and may either convert it to points or use it to buy one discarded card.

Missions provide additional goals. Each Mission contains four objectives involving Buddhas, Shrines, Stupas, and/or Pagodas with sections matching the shown colors. At the end of Reviving Kathmandu, players score incomplete Monuments and any color bonuses for completed Monuments. The player with the most points wins, becoming the most well-respected architect. The game is the second title in Lemery Games’ Globetrotter Game Series, following Chili Mafia.