- BGG rating
- 7.0
Gùgōng: The Stairs of the Palace
- 1–5 players
- 60–90 min
- 2019
- BGG rank
- BGG #502
- BGG rating
- 7.4
Gùgōng
2018
Rules assistance for Gùgōng
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 1–5 players
- 60–90 min
- 12+
- Complexity 3.1/5
For 1 player
Rules assistant for Gùgōng
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Gùgōng is a board game released in 2018 for 1–5 players, 60–90 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Andreas Steding and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Set Collection, and Area Majority / Influence.
Expansions
- BGG rating
- 7.8
Gùgōng: Pànjūn
- 1–5 players
- 90–120 min
- Complexity 3.5/5
- 2020
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About the game
China, 1570. China is under the reign of the Longqing Emperor, of the Ming Dynasty. He inherited a country in disarray after years of mismanagement and corruption. He resided in the Forbidden city, which was the seat of many emperors under the Ming Dynasty. Constructed from 1406 to 1420, the complex consists of 980 buildings and covers 72 ha (over 180 acres). It is also under the Ming Dynasty that the Great Wall of China was rebuilt, fortified, and expanded. Around this period, China was under heavy attack from the Mongols, so maintaining the Great Wall was essential. Most of what we now have left of the Great Wall, we owe to the Ming dynasty. The country was already famous for its very intricate bureaucracy, but this also led to a lot of corruption. Even though the penalties for corruption were very high, the highest Officials of the Forbidden City would pretend to uphold the ban on corruption, by accepting gifts of petitioners, and returning one of seemingly lower value. Gùgōng uses this extraordinary custom as its basis. Players take on the role of powerful Chinese families trying to gain influence and power by exchanging gifts with Officials. The gift cards you offer as a player have to be of a higher value than the one you receive, forcing you to make strategic choices regarding which actions you want to take each turn. You will travel around China, sail down the Grand Canal, purchase precious jade, help construct the Great Wall, secure advantages through decrees, influence the game through intrigue, and ultimately, receive an audience with the emperor. If only 1 player succeeds in doing so, he wins. If several players succeed, the player with the most VPs among those players wins the game. —description from the publisher
Designers
Publishers
- Delta Vision Publishing
- Tasty Minstrel Games
- Games Factory
- sternenschimmermeer
- CrowD Games
- TLAMA games
- Last Level
- Kronos Games (Krogam)
- Dexker Games
- Game Brewer
- Ergo Ludo Editions
Questions and answers
Gùgōng supports 1–5 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 Gùgōng is 60–90 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 Gùgōng 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.
Gùgōng has a complexity rating of 3.1 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.
Gùgōng belongs to these categories: Travel and Medieval. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Set Collection, 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 Gùgōng are: Andreas Steding. 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 Gùgōng 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.