- BGG rating
- 6.6
Helsinki: Expansion 1
- 2–4 players
- 45 min
- 2022
- BGG rank
- BGG #11,295
- BGG rating
- 6.3
Helsinki
2022
Rules assistance for Helsinki
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–4 players
- 45 min
- 10+
- Complexity 1.9/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Helsinki
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Helsinki is a board game released in 2022 for 2–4 players, 45 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Asger Aleksandrov Granerud and Daniel Skjold Pedersen and its main mechanics are Grid Coverage and Open Drafting.
Expansions
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About the game
The famous Senate Square in the center of the Finnish capital is surrounded by government buildings, the university, the cathedral and the Sederholm House. The players ́ task is to design pavilions across the square to protect pedestrians in the rain. Helsinki is based on the design of Copenhagen by the same design team, but with some added complexity. The center board depicts the Senate Square with 8 spaces (two per side) and 8 cards, with each card connected to two spaces. The player on their turn advances their pawn 1-3 spaces, then must choose to take cards or build a pavilion. Each space is connected to two face up cards, and the player may choose to draw these into their hand (making sure to respect the 7 card hand limit, a key challenge in the game). The cards are in one of 5 colors and show a shape of size 2 to 5. To build a pavilion, the player plays a card showing the piece they want to play, and then must play an additional number of cards of the same color to match the size of the piece. Finally, the piece must be "slid" onto their game board (which also represents the Senate Square) from the side of the Square their pawn is on on the main board. Covering certain spaces earns a coat of arms, which may be spent to use one of the 15 one-time special actions. Players score points for completing rows and columns, and the player with the most points at the end of the game is the winner. -description from publisher
Categories
Mechanics
Publishers
- Queen Games
- Lautapelit.fi
Questions and answers
Helsinki 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 Helsinki 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 Helsinki 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.
Helsinki has a complexity rating of 1.9 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.
Helsinki belongs to these categories: City Building. Its main mechanics are Grid Coverage 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 Helsinki are: Asger Aleksandrov Granerud and Daniel Skjold Pedersen. 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 Helsinki 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.