- BGG rating
- 6.5
Golems: Golem Runes
- 1–2 players
- 2020
- BGG rank
- BGG #10,942
- BGG rating
- 6.1
Golems
2020
Rules assistance for Golems
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 1–2 players
- 20 min
- 14+
- Complexity 1.8/5
For 1 player
Rules assistant for Golems
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Golems is a board game released in 2020 for 1–2 players, 20 minutes per game, and ages 14 and up. It was designed by Francesco Testini and its main mechanics are Set Collection and Open Drafting.
Expansions
- BGG rating
- 6.1
Golems: Sound and Time
- 1–2 players
- 20 min
- 2020
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About the game
In Golems, you will need to collect resources and summon Golems to score victory points while trying not to be anticipated by your opponent. You will take alternating turns. During each turn you collect cards from the grid by using your Gems and choosing how to use the collected cards to maximize your strategy. There are 3 types of cards: Golem cards, Gem cards, Rune cards. To pick a card from a row that contains 3 cards, place a Gem from your reserve on each of the 2 undesired cards and then take the card. To pick a card from a row that contains 2 cards, move the Gem from the desired card to the undesired card. To pick the last card of a row, collect the Gems and then take the card. Immediately refill the row with 3 new cards from the deck. During your turn: - You may use a Golem card as a resource by placing the card upside down in front of you. - You may summon a Golem if you have all the resources needed to do this, by placing the card face-up next to your resource cards and by discarding 1 to 3 cards with the matching resources of the Golem you want to summon. Tuck the cards under the summoned Golem. These resources cannot be used anymore, but each card will score 1 point at the end of the game. - You may use a Rune card as a resource. - You may take a Rune card in hand and use it to score additional points, but only if you have at least 3 Gems in your reserve and pay 1 Gem to the supply. - You may take a Gem card in hand to gain the bonus shown on the card. - You may take a Gem card to gain set-collection points by placing the card face-down next to your Rune cards and creating Gem dust. The game ends when you are not able to refill a row with new cards. Score 2 points for every summoned Golem, 1 point for every card under your summoned Golems, additional victory points for your collected Gem dust symbols, and additional points depending on your Rune cards in hand. Whoever has the most points, wins. In the case of a tie, whoever collected the most points for their summoned Golems wins.
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- ThunderGryph Games
Questions and answers
Golems supports 1–2 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 Golems is 20 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 Golems for ages 14 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.
Golems has a complexity rating of 1.8 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a 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.
Golems belongs to these categories: Card Game. Its main mechanics are Set Collection 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 Golems are: Francesco Testini. 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 Golems 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.