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- BGG #2,612
- BGG rating
- 6.9
Tanto Cuore
- 2–4 players
- 45 min
- Complexity 2.2/5
- 2009
- BGG rank
- BGG #5,459
- BGG rating
- 6.7
Barbarossa
2010
Rules assistance for Barbarossa
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–5 players
- 60 min
- 18+
- Complexity 2.6/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Barbarossa
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Barbarossa is a board game released in 2010 for 2–5 players, 60 minutes per game, and ages 18 and up. It was designed by Atsuo Yoshizawa and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Open Drafting, and Deck, Bag, and Pool Building.
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About the game
Barbarossa is set in a fictional Second World War setting in which cute German military girls rush against Moscow to defeat the evil magician Stalin. The game uses the in-game deck-building mechanism from Dominion – that is, each player starts with a small deck of resource cards and during the course of the game one buys cards from an open card pool to build a deck of cards to play with. Goal of the game is to conquer Moscow. If Moscow falls the player with the most victory points wins. Victory points are acquired by conquering different cities and/or strategical positions during the game. Every time you attack a city, event cards from an event deck are drawn (e.g. General "Winter"). Barbarossa uses six different kinds of cards: Supply Cards: These provide points to buy other cards from the open card pool. Unit Cards: The use of these cards require "Operation Points" (Each turn you start with one Operation Point) and deliver the military strength to attack cities or strategic positions (or in other words gain victory point cards). Operation Cards: They give you a one time bonus in different forms. After use they are not just discarded but put out of play. Deploy Cards: They stay in the players play area and deliver bonuses in different forms every turn. Target Cards: The cities and strategic positions which deliver VPs, also if you conquered strategic positions it becomes easier to attack cities. Event Cards: If you attack the Target cards an event is drawn and stuff happens. Like all of Arclight's deck construction games, the illustrations are provided by famous Japanese fanzine artists. Integrates with El Alamein
Designers
Publishers
- Arclight Games
- Play & Win
- Kamikaze Games
Questions and answers
Barbarossa supports 2–5 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 Barbarossa is 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 Barbarossa for ages 18 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.
Barbarossa has a complexity rating of 2.6 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.
Barbarossa belongs to these categories: Card Game, Wargame, and Mature / Adult. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Open Drafting, and Deck, Bag, and Pool Building. 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 Barbarossa are: Atsuo Yoshizawa. 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 Barbarossa 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.