
- BGG rank
- BGG #2,253
- BGG rating
- 6.7
Leonardo da Vinci
- 2–5 players
- 90 min
- Complexity 3.2/5
- 2006

2008
Rules assistance for Comuni
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 2 players

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Comuni is a board game released in 2008 for 2–5 players, 90 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Stefano Luperto, Acchittocca, Antonio Tinto, Virginio Gigli, and Flaminia Brasini and its main mechanics are Set Collection, Auction / Bidding, and Open Drafting.
In the 12th Century, in the north of Italy, there were strong cities, ruled by themselves with their own territories and army and each one with own characteristics. They were called COMUNI. The relationship among them was a more or less a pacific coexistence but the cultural, military and Economic competition was always very high. In this game each player rules a particular COMUNE and has to increase the wealth of the city. To do this he must build structures that are the core of the Economic, Military, Cultural and Religious life. At the same time all the player must be aware of the invasion that can come from outside and if necessary must be able to collaborate to defeat them. Comuni is a game of strategy. The core of the game is trying to acquire "projects of buildings" (cards) that can be automatically transformed in buildings and protection walls (and subsequent upgrades). The acquisition of the projects is made through a bidding system. The buildings can be of four types (Economic, Military Cultural and Religious) that give different resources. The resources give different advantages during the game in the bidding phase, when you transform projects into buildings etc.... The projects cards are divided in four different decks, at the end of each of them, an invasion comes, each time stronger. The invasion hits all players and during the invasion each player must defend his city. The players also can (and have an incentive to) collaborate to fight the aggression together. At the end of the four invasions the game ends. The key element of this game is the ability to plan a successful strategy predicting what will be the situation several turns in advance.
Comuni supports 2–5 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 Comuni 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 Comuni 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.
Comuni has a complexity rating of 3.3 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.
Comuni belongs to these categories: Medieval and City Building. Its main mechanics are Set Collection, Auction / Bidding, and Open Drafting. 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 Comuni are: Stefano Luperto, Acchittocca, Antonio Tinto, Virginio Gigli, and Flaminia Brasini. 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 Comuni 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.