- BGG rank
- BGG #912
- BGG rating
- 7.3
Coal Baron
- 2–4 players
- 60–75 min
- Complexity 2.5/5
- 2013
- BGG rank
- BGG #3,714
- BGG rating
- 6.7
Cavum
2008
Rules assistance for Cavum
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–4 players
- 120 min
- 12+
- Complexity 3.6/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Cavum
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Cavum is a board game released in 2008 for 2–4 players, 120 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Wolfgang Kramer and Michael Kiesling and its main mechanics are Auction / Bidding, Tile Placement, and Network and Route Building.
Similar games
- BGG rank
- BGG #391
- BGG rating
- 7.3
Tikal
- 2–4 players
- 90 min
- Complexity 2.8/5
- 1999
- BGG rank
- BGG #2,491
- BGG rating
- 7.4
Cuzco
- 2–4 players
- 90 min
- Complexity 2.7/5
- 2018
- BGG rank
- BGG #838
- BGG rating
- 7.3
Mexica
- 2–4 players
- 90 min
- Complexity 2.7/5
- 2002
- BGG rank
- BGG #857
- BGG rating
- 7.1
Torres
- 2–4 players
- 60 min
- Complexity 2.9/5
- 1999
- BGG rank
- BGG #1,649
- BGG rating
- 7.0
Java
- 2–4 players
- 120 min
- Complexity 3.4/5
- 2000
- BGG rank
- BGG #2,434
- BGG rating
- 7.1
Coal Baron: The Great Card Game
- 2–4 players
- 50–80 min
- Complexity 2.7/5
- 2016
- BGG rank
- BGG #1,177
- BGG rating
- 7.1
Maharaja: The Game of Palace Building in India
- 2–5 players
- 90 min
- Complexity 3.2/5
- 2004
- BGG rank
- BGG #3,200
- BGG rating
- 6.9
Tikal II: The Lost Temple
- 2–4 players
- 60–120 min
- Complexity 2.6/5
- 2010
- BGG rank
- BGG #2,833
- BGG rating
- 7.4
Steam Power
- 1–5 players
- 45–90 min
- Complexity 2.3/5
- 2025
- BGG rank
- BGG #3,363
- BGG rating
- 6.9
Canal Mania
- 2–5 players
- 90 min
- Complexity 2.9/5
- 2006
- BGG rank
- BGG #1,351
- BGG rating
- 7.0
Via Nebula
- 2–4 players
- 45–60 min
- Complexity 2.3/5
- 2016
About the game
In the mountain there are veins of precious stones. The players build tunnels in the mountain, establish stations in the mountain and in the city, discover veins of precious stones, acquire precious stones, and sell them. The players get points for stations in the city and for selling precious stones. The winner is the player with the most points. Game Summary The board is a hex grid, with city spaces along most of the edges. The center hex is a vein of yellow gems: place all 9 in a stack there. The rest of the gems go in their individual market areas (priced 1-9 based on supply).Each round (3 in game), add 5 contracts (showing gem combinations; score big VP if completing them; lose some VP if cannot) to the display. Then auction (using VP) turn order chips 1-4. Players then each get the same set of tiles (hexes with various numbers of track exits, prospecting tiles, veins, option tiles, etc.) plus a dynamite hex based on their turn order chip. Take turns taking contracts until everyone passes. Then, on your turn, play 1-4 of your 12 actions. These allow you to place tracks (expanding previous tunnels; you can also cover track tiles with tiles having more exits), stations, or veins (which you supply with gems of your choice). Gems (6 types, 9 tokens each) each have their own market where they are stored and which set their max sell price. The last action is prospecting, where you create a path from one of your stations to another, passing through as many veins as possible: take one gem from each vein. After everyone's 12 actions are used, any exposed dynamite tracks explode and take the adjacent tracks as well (all these are placed in the Buy Pool, which can be accessed by turning in Option tiles)! You score for stations in cities based on the number of empty hexes. Then, for each gem type, players bid (Dutch auction style, bidding for the lowest price they'll accept) and may sell their gems for VP at their bid price. At game end (after 3 rounds), players sell off all their remaining gems (with lowest VP selling next gem), there's another city scoring, and players lose VP for incomplete orders. Most VP wins!
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- HUCH!
- Red Glove
- Eagle-Gryphon Games
- Quined White Goblin Games
Questions and answers
Cavum 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.
The listed playing time for Cavum is 120 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 Cavum for ages 12 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.
Cavum has a complexity rating of 3.6 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.
Cavum belongs to these categories: American West. Its main mechanics are Auction / Bidding, Tile Placement, and Network and Route 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 Cavum are: Wolfgang Kramer and Michael Kiesling. 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 Cavum 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.