
- BGG rank
- BGG #399
- BGG rating
- 7.4
Bruges
- 2–4 players
- 60 min
- Complexity 2.8/5
- 2013

2022
Rules assistance for Hamburg
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 1 player

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Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Hamburg is a board game released in 2022 for 1–5 players, 60–90 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Stefan Feld and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Dice Rolling, and Solo / Solitaire Game.
Hamburg is a card game in which each card has five different uses, and players must cleverly choose the best use for each one, all while avoiding disasters and racing for different objectives. In the game, players act as mayors of the city of Hamburg in the late 19th century. The game is played over eight rounds. At the beginning of the round, six colored dice are rolled, with players receiving a threat marker in the color of any die that rolls a 5 or 6. The black die is a "wild" threat, with players drawing a threat token with one of the other threat types hidden on the back. If a player ever has three of one type of threat, they receive a penalty. Next, players have the opportunity to pay a number of coins (equal to the pips on all dice showing a 1 or 2) to advance on the mayor's track. The black die also activates the clergy in St. Michael's Church, which serves as a round counter and awards points for certain building types at the end of the game. On their turn, players play five cards from any of five stacks of cards, one for each of the five colors in the game. These cards are in thirteen categories, each representing a different location around Hamburg, with seventeen individual cards within each category. Each card in a player's hand may be used for a number of purposes, including building the city wall, activating boats (if a 3 or 4 is rolled), starting a building plot, and constructing a building (card) on the plot, with this building granting a new ability or endgame scoring condition. Players receive points for various accomplishments during the game. In addition, they may receive bonus points by being the only player to have achieved one of five conditions for that round. Whoever scores the most points after eight rounds wins. Hamburg is a reimplementation of Bruges, including The City on the Zwin and Pets expansions and some new content, with some moderate rules enhancements.
Hamburg 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 Hamburg 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 Hamburg 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.
Hamburg 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.
Hamburg belongs to these categories: Card Game, Economic, and City Building. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Dice Rolling, and Solo / Solitaire Game. 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 Hamburg are: Stefan Feld. 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 Hamburg 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.