- BGG rating
- 9.5
Gnomopolis: Magic!
- 1–4 players
- 30–45 min
- Complexity 3.0/5
- 2020
- BGG rank
- BGG #5,362
- BGG rating
- 7.2
Gnomopolis
2018
Rules assistance for Gnomopolis
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 1–4 players
- 45 min
- 10+
- Complexity 2.6/5
For 1 player
Rules assistant for Gnomopolis
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Gnomopolis is a board game released in 2018 for 1–4 players, 45 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Patrick Matheus and Igor Knop and its main mechanics are Set Collection, Deck, Bag, and Pool Building, and Worker Placement.
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About the game
After several generations, the Ancient Capital of underground gnomes must be relocated because of human expansion. Brave explorers and their families are sent to establish a new city in the largest and deepest stone hall of the Great Mountain. You and your friends will manage the construction of this new capital, which will be known as the great Gnomopolis! Gnomopolis is a fast and strategic game in which you must combine city growth with specialization of its population. An almost endless combination of buildings and workers can create ingenious systems of actions and scoring mechanisms in a frantic race for the win. With a play time of nearly 45 minutes, one to four players must think wisely to build their own city and trade with neighbours. The game is played in turns, during which each player draws three gnomes (gnome meeples) from a cup. Then they can use these gnomes to construct buildings or perform actions. Actions can be a combination of specializing adults, hiring more gnomes, earning gold coins, building mechanical golems or controlling the workforce in a district. As the city grows, more gnomes immigrate there. At the end of the game, players count their points from coins and any workers employed in buildings (be careful with unemployed gnomes!). The player with the most points is the winner!
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- Matagot
- Conclave Editora
- Surfin' Meeple China
- Board Game Box
Questions and answers
Gnomopolis supports 1–4 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 Gnomopolis is 45 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 Gnomopolis for ages 10 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.
Gnomopolis 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.
Gnomopolis belongs to these categories: Fantasy, City Building, and Mythology. Its main mechanics are Set Collection, Deck, Bag, and Pool Building, and Worker 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 Gnomopolis are: Patrick Matheus and Igor Knop. 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 Gnomopolis 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.