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Ubongo
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Batavia
2008
Rules assistance for Batavia
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 3–5 players
- 45–60 min
- 10+
- Complexity 2.4/5
For 3 players
Rules assistant for Batavia
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Batavia is a board game released in 2008 for 3–5 players, 45–60 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Dan Glimne and Grzegorz Rejchtman and its main mechanics are Set Collection, Auction / Bidding, and Stock Holding.
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About the game
Batavia takes the players into the golden age of the East India companies - England's, Holland's, Sweden's, France's, and Denmark's. And Batavia - now known as Jakarta - wasn't just the main branch of the Dutch East India Company on Java, but the name of their flagship as well. The players, representing merchants, visit the trading posts of the five East India companies all over Asia. Every company's station offers a different good, which will be made available to the merchant who visits the trading post. To get a passage there, you'll need the ship card of the corresponding company. Every turn, these cards will be auctioned off, according to a special method, where there are only winners: the highest bidder gets all the offered cards but divides the money he paid equally among the others. The one who is able to travel to the trading posts with the most lucrative goods will be able to procure the best wares for himself and get the most gold for them at game's end. Re-implements: Moderne Zeiten
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- Enigma (Bergsala Enigma)
- Queen Games
- M-Ágnes
Questions and answers
Batavia supports 3–5 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 Batavia 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 Batavia for ages 10 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.
Batavia 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.
Batavia belongs to these categories: Economic, Nautical, and Renaissance. Its main mechanics are Set Collection, Auction / Bidding, and Stock Holding. 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 Batavia are: Dan Glimne and Grzegorz Rejchtman. 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 Batavia 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.