
- BGG rating
- 7.5
Alhambra: Big Box
- 2–6 players
- 60 min
- Complexity 2.3/5
- 2009

Rules assistance for Alhambra: Power of the Sultan
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

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Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Alhambra: Power of the Sultan is an expansion for Alhambra released in 2008 for 2–6 players, 45–60 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by Dirk Henn and Wolfgang Panning and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Set Collection, and Tile Placement.
This is the 5th expansion for the base-game Alhambra. It was presented at the Essen gamefair Spiel '08. As in all the other expansions, this one contains 4 new modules. They are as follows: -Die Karawanserei (the Caravan). Cards and markers. These special cards can be taken. Every turn you may increase the indicated amount of money on the card and use it to buy buildings. -Die Künste der Mauren (the art of the Moorish). Tiles. With these tiles you can get extra points for the amount of buildings you have of the same value. -Die Macht des Sultans (the power of the sultan). Cards and a die. You can buy the card for 7 of the indicated color. Then you roll the die and mark the building on the card. When a new building of that color is added to the building site, you can take it, even if it is not your turn. -Die neuen Wertungskärtchen (the new valuation cards). Tiles. At the beginning of the game you draw 3 tiles that show different ranking orders for the buildings for the three valuations. Expands: Alhambra
Alhambra: Power of the Sultan supports 2–6 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 Alhambra: Power of the Sultan is 45–60 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 Alhambra: Power of the Sultan for ages 8 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.
Alhambra: Power of the Sultan has a complexity rating of 2.4 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.
Alhambra: Power of the Sultan belongs to these categories: City Building, Arabian, and Expansion for Base-game. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Set Collection, and Tile Placement. 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 Alhambra: Power of the Sultan are: Dirk Henn and Wolfgang Panning. 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 Alhambra: Power of the Sultan as an expansion for Alhambra. Expansions add new content, rules or scenarios to the base game and usually cannot be played on their own, so you need Alhambra to use it. Check that your edition of Alhambra is compatible, as some expansions were revised between editions.