- BGG rank
- BGG #3,710
- BGG rating
- 7.7
Adamastor
- 1 player
- 30 min
- Complexity 2.4/5
- 2025
- BGG rank
- BGG #8,336
- BGG rating
- 7.4
Adamastor
2017
Rules assistance for Adamastor
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 1–2 players
- 15 min
- 12+
- Complexity 2.2/5
For 1 player
Rules assistant for Adamastor
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Adamastor is a board game released in 2017 for 1–2 players, 15 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Orlando Sá and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Point to Point Movement, and Cooperative Game.
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About the game
Adamastor is a 1-2 player co-operative game in which you take the role of the adventurous captain of a Portuguese vessel in the Age of Discovery. You choose whether to play a historical scenario (Vasco da Gama's trip to India), or a custom scenario in which the map differs in each game. Each round, you must handle several threats to maintain order and prevent a mutiny that would end what could be a glorious journey. You must contend with adverse weather, unpredictable storms, and the unrest, fatigue, and disease that will spread among your crew as the voyage advances. All of this is abstracted in a game that uses a deck of 54 cards, some markers, and one pawn to track the position of your fleet. Adamastor is essentially a hand/tableau-management game with multi-use cards that can be played in 15 minutes. Each card in play has the potential to help or hinder you during your journey. Different events will trigger when certain combinations of icons are in play. Most of these events will hurt, but some might help. The challenges that the sailors faced in these heroic journeys are also abstracted into a system in which you will gain traumas. These cards will increase as the game progresses, making your task even more difficult. Masterful command of these cards will lead you to a successful voyage full of wealth and adventure, but be wary as danger and disaster await with every pull from the deck.
Designers
Publishers
- (Self-Published)
Questions and answers
Adamastor supports 1–2 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Adamastor is 15 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Adamastor for ages 12 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Adamastor has a complexity rating of 2.2 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Adamastor belongs to these categories: Card Game, Print & Play, and Exploration. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Point to Point Movement, and Cooperative Game. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Adamastor are: Orlando Sá. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Adamastor as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.