- BGG rating
- 7.4
Colonialism: Upgrade Cards
- 2–4 players
- 90 min
- 2018
- BGG rank
- BGG #6,852
- BGG rating
- 6.7
Colonialism
2013
Rules assistance for Colonialism
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–4 players
- 90 min
- 12+
- Complexity 3.0/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Colonialism
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Colonialism is a board game released in 2013 for 2–4 players, 90 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Scott W. Leibbrandt and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Area Movement, and Area Majority / Influence.
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About the game
Colonialism is a game of 19th Century imperialistic struggle. In this game, each player assumes the role of a nondescript colonial power. Players proceed to struggle for influence in the unindustrialized regions of the world, and the subsequent resources such influence entails. Each turn is divided into action phases and colonization phases. During action phases, players use cards to secretly bid influence in the six regions of the game board. During colonization phases, all cards in play are revealed, the placement of influence is resolved, and conflict occurs. Whenever all native influence is eliminated from a region, that region's resources are collected. The amount of resources collected by each player depends on each players' influence in the region. At the end of the game, the player who collects the most resources wins.
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Spielworxx
Questions and answers
Colonialism 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 Colonialism is 90 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 Colonialism 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.
Colonialism has a complexity rating of 3.0 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.
Colonialism belongs to these categories: Bluffing, Political, and Post-Napoleonic. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Area Movement, and Area Majority / Influence. 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 Colonialism are: Scott W. Leibbrandt. 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 Colonialism 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.