Biblios
BGG rank
BGG #526
BGG rating
7.2

Biblios

2007

Rules assistance for Biblios

Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

  • 2–4 players
  • 30 min
  • 10+
  • Complexity 1.7/5

For 2 players

Rules assistant for Biblios

What would you like to know?

Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.

Biblios is a board game released in 2007 for 2–4 players, 30 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Steve Finn and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Set Collection, and Auction / Bidding.

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About the game

THE GAME CONCEPT You are an abbot of a medieval monastery competing with other abbots to amass the greatest library of sacred books. To do so, you need to have both the workers and resources to run a well-functioning scriptorium. To acquire workers and resources, you use a limited supply of donated gold. In addition, you must be on good terms with the powerful bishop, who can help you in your quest. OUTLINE OF GAME PLAY The object of the game is to score the most Victory Points. You win Victory Points by winning any of the 5 categories: Illuminators, Scribes, Manuscripts, Scrolls, and Supplies. You win a category by having the highest total number of workers (Scribes, Illuminators) or resources (Manuscripts, Scrolls, Supplies) in that category. This is determined by the numbers in the upper left corner on the cards. At the start of the game, each category is worth 3 Victory Points. As the game progresses, the values on the Value Board will change and some categories will become worth more or fewer Victory Points than others. The game is divided into 2 stages: a Donation stage and an Auction stage. During the Donation stage, players acquire free cards according to an established plan. In the Auction stage, players purchase cards in auction rounds. After the two stages, winners of each category are determined and Victory Points awarded. The player with the most Victory Points wins. GAME CHARACTERISTICS The game involves a good deal of strategic planning, some bluffing, and a little bit of luck. The rules are easy to understand, but you have to play it a few times to develop a playing strategy. It plays differently from 2-4 players, but each game is equally fun and challenging.

Designers

Publishers

  • Kaissa Chess & Games
  • Hobby Japan
  • GaGa Games
  • HomoLudicus
  • Asterion Press
  • IELLO
  • Origames
  • One Moment Games

Questions and answers

Biblios supports 2–4 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.