- BGG rank
- BGG #15,402
- BGG rating
- 7.5
Finis Terrae
2023
Rules assistance for Finis Terrae
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–4 players
- 35–85 min
- 12+
- Complexity 2.6/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Finis Terrae
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Finis Terrae is a board game released in 2023 for 2–4 players, 35–85 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Emanuele Sassi Zanichelli and Francesco Sassi Zanichelli and its main mechanics are Push Your Luck, Trading, and Tile Placement.
About the game
Finis Terrae is a game of Exploration, Commerce and Piracy in which each player is asked to navigate a game map made up in a different and unexpected way every time, to simulate the map of an unknown world. In this space of sea and abyss, the territories will gradually emerge and therefore the objectives and game strategies to be undertaken: saving Castaways, recovering buried treasures and underwater finds, founding new Merchant Ports and trading Spices. Explorers will be hampered by Pirates and Bad Weather conditions and they will be able to indulge in piracy themselves. The winner is whoever can prove to be the most expert navigator, i.e. collect the most points in the 3 categories: Exploration, Trade and Colonisation (*) Every turn has 4 Phases: Cartographic Phase: each player places some game tiles and a new part of the cartography is revealed Preparation Phase: in which the weather and trade conditions of the round are defined. Navigation Phase: in which the explorers sail the sea founding ports, trading Spices and recovering Treasures, Underwater Finds and Castaways. End of the day: in which the navigation of the following day is prepared. The First Player is established at the end of each turn according to the "Rising of the Sun" rule (whoever is further EAST), while the Pirates are led in turn by each player and become an element that continuously changes strategy and acts on all players. Not all are honest traders in Finis Terrae and every explorer can decide to indulge in piracy and plunder other explorers. By its very conformation Finis Terrae adapts to different styles of play: from the most basic and direct (without thinking too much) to a more strategic and challenging one. A moderate component of luck allows you to lighten the average weight of the game. —description from the designer
Questions and answers
Finis Terrae 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 Finis Terrae is 35–85 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 Finis Terrae 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.
Finis Terrae has a complexity rating of 2.6 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.
Finis Terrae belongs to these categories: Dice, Exploration, and Adventure. Its main mechanics are Push Your Luck, Trading, and Tile Placement. 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 Finis Terrae are: Emanuele Sassi Zanichelli and Francesco Sassi Zanichelli. 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 Finis Terrae 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.