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Byzanz
- 3–6 players
- 45 min
- Complexity 1.5/5
- 2008
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- BGG #4,832
- BGG rating
- 6.4
Il Principe
2005
Rules assistance for Il Principe
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–5 players
- 60 min
- 10+
- Complexity 2.8/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Il Principe
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Il Principe is a board game released in 2005 for 2–5 players, 60 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Emanuele Ornella and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Set Collection, and Auction / Bidding.
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About the game
An auction game where income and resources are automatically gained at the beginning of each turn. Then the money is used to bid on more resources, then the resources can either be used (along with money) to build cities, or "displayed" to qualifying for "roles" (like political appointments) which gain influence/VP-graft plus a special power such as income boost, resource boost, VP-boost, or resource re-display. Building a city gains the player VP but also gives VP to the opponent(s) with matching role/graft color. The board does triple duty, containing the scoring track, a map of some part of Italy, and staging area for the "role" tiles.
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- AMIGO
- Z-Man Games
- Mind the Move
Questions and answers
Il Principe supports 2–5 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 Il Principe is 60 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 Il Principe 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.
Il Principe has a complexity rating of 2.8 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.
Il Principe belongs to these categories: City Building and Renaissance. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Set Collection, and Auction / Bidding. 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 Il Principe are: Emanuele Ornella. 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 Il Principe 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.