The Cathedral of Orléans

About this board game

The Cathedral of Orléans is a cooperative board game for 2–4 players, played in about 30 minutes. Set in France in 1598, it challenges everyone to work together to build a cathedral in the city of Orléans.

Players recruit followers familiar from Orléans, including knights, craftsmen, scholars, traders, and monks. These followers help you take actions, but they are divided between two pouches, creating a constant decision: which pouch should you draw from when you need a particular tile?

Careful coordination is essential. At the end of each round, players will want to remember which tiles went into which pouch, then divide responsibilities and plan their actions together as effectively as possible.

• Cooperative play for 2–4 players
• Approximately 30 minutes of play time
• Follower tiles divided between two pouches
• A cathedral that must be completed by the third round
• A real, three-dimensional cathedral to build

Time is always pressing. The cathedral must be finished in the third round at the latest, and when a tile can no longer be placed elsewhere through an action, it must be added to the bell tower. The tower’s toll ends the round, making every placement and every decision matter.

With its shared objective, pouch management, memory challenge, and striking physical centerpiece, The Cathedral of Orléans turns familiar followers and urgent teamwork into a focused cooperative building challenge.