- BGG rating
- 6.8
Barbarians: The Invasion – Mystics Set
- 1–4 players
- 60–90 min
- 2020
- BGG rank
- BGG #3,566
- BGG rating
- 7.4
Barbarians: The Invasion
2018
Rules assistance for Barbarians: The Invasion
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 1–4 players
- 90 min
- 14+
- Complexity 3.2/5
For 1 player
Rules assistant for Barbarians: The Invasion
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Barbarians: The Invasion is a board game released in 2018 for 1–4 players, 90 minutes per game, and ages 14 and up. It was designed by Martino Chiacchiera, Pierluca Zizzi, and Marta Ciaccasassi and its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Set Collection, and Area Majority / Influence.
Expansions
About the game
Enter the mysterious World of Thunmar, a place where barbarian clans rule the wild lands and corrupted civilizations live in their decadent cities. A place filled with powers gifted from ancient gods and treacherous demons. Become the Warchief of a clan and lead them on the conquest of civilized nations, take their lands and steal their riches. You will need a strong economy, an even stronger army and all the technological advancements you can afford to pursue. You will have to manage resources, army units and buildings, but you will also be able to summon the power of ancient gods and demons to obtain temporary magical benefits. Only the strongest clan will prevail over the others on the path to glory, leaving its mark in history. In Barbarians: The Invasion, you control a barbarian clan and lead it on its path to glory. Place your champions on the 3D Volcano to gather resources, construct buildings, pray to gods, and lead your troops in fierce battles to conquer the most regions and become the greatest clan of all time. The game revolves around worker placement on a 3D rotating Volcano where you can perform different actions depending on the position of your workers, area control on a map, and the management of an economic engine. Your clan will have to sustain its army in order to conquer lands and prevail on enemy clans. The clans won't fight each other directly, but will pursue the same goal until the end of the game where the player with most points wins.
Questions and answers
Barbarians: The Invasion supports 1–4 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 Barbarians: The Invasion is 90 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 Barbarians: The Invasion for ages 14 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.
Barbarians: The Invasion has a complexity rating of 3.2 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-weight 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.
Barbarians: The Invasion belongs to these categories: Fantasy, Economic, and Exploration. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Set Collection, and Area Majority / Influence. 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 Barbarians: The Invasion are: Martino Chiacchiera, Pierluca Zizzi, and Marta Ciaccasassi. 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 Barbarians: The Invasion 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.