Battle For Souls: Shroud of Turin
- 1–4 players
- 60 min
- 2013
- BGG rank
- BGG #5,332
- BGG rating
- 6.9
Battle For Souls
2013
Rules assistance for Battle For Souls
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 1–4 players
- 60 min
- 14+
- Complexity 2.4/5
For 1 player
Rules assistant for Battle For Souls
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Battle For Souls is a board game released in 2013 for 1–4 players, 60 minutes per game, and ages 14 and up. It was designed by Robert Burke and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Set Collection, and Push Your Luck.
Expansions
- BGG rating
- 5.5
Battle For Souls: Just Got Played
- 1–4 players
- 60 min
- 2018
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About the game
Battle For Souls is a card game pitting the seven archangels of heaven versus the seven princes of hell in a fight for the eternal souls of humankind. In the game, 1, 2, or 4 players choose the side of heaven or the side of hell. Each side will battle for 28 souls, which are worth victory points. Players add holy or unholy points on the souls in play based on how they use temptation, virtue, sin, intercession, holy relic, unholy relic, angel and devil cards. Earn enough holy points, and when the soul is reaped it goes to heaven, earning the side of good victory points; earn enough unholy points, and when the soul is reaped it goes to hell, earning the side of evil victory points. If a soul does not earn enough holy or unholy points and is reaped, it goes to purgatory where its victory points are not counted. Guiding a soul to complete purity or complete darkness before death and final judgment adds a new archangel or prince of hell to a player's arsenal. Influence on souls can be spent for more powerful cards that have special abilities, and allow a player to gain souls more quickly. Many strategic decisions impact play. Strategies include focusing on gaining more help from heaven or hell to increase your power, working to reap souls quickly from the start with little intervention from the angelic and demonic hordes, or balancing your play to ensure victory. Sin, Intercession, and Relic cards can be purchased for beneficial effects at the cost of holy and unholy points. These help to make for deep gameplay and excellent risk-reward scenarios. Invest in these cards to strengthen your position.
Designers
Publishers
- Robert Burke Games
Questions and answers
Battle For Souls 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 Battle For Souls 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 Battle For Souls 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.
Battle For Souls 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.
Battle For Souls belongs to these categories: Card Game and Religious. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Set Collection, and Push Your Luck. 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 Battle For Souls are: Robert Burke. 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 Battle For Souls 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.