- BGG rank
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- BGG rating
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Tigris & Euphrates
- 2–4 players
- 60–120 min
- Complexity 3.5/5
- 1997
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- BGG #8,945
- BGG rating
- 6.3
Ilium
2008
Rules assistance for Ilium
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 35 min
- 8+
- Complexity 2.1/5
Rules assistant for Ilium
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Ilium is a board game released in 2008 for 2–4 players, 35 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by Reiner Knizia and its main mechanics are Set Collection and Area Majority / Influence.
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About the game
From Boardgamenews.com: "Ilium is another term for ancient Troy, and players are archaeologists following in the footsteps of Heinrich Schliemann, looking for artifacts in the newly excavated site of that fabled city. The board and game play might remind you of Portobello Market, the first strategy game of this style from Playroom. The board shows a number of dig sites, with paths of different lengths connecting the sites. To start the game, you place a number of discovery tiles on each site equal to the number of paths leading to it. The tiles show one of five types of artifacts, with 1-5 artifacts on a tile. Each player has his own deck of cards, and the card you draw each turn determines how many archaeologists (1-3) you place on one empty space on any path. When a path fills, the player with the most archaeologists on the path collects one tile from one of the adjacent dig sites – but in each site he may choose only the tile with the fewest artifacts; the player with the second most artifacts takes the tile that the first player didn’t. As the dig sites empty, the more valuable tiles can be claimed. The game ends after all five tiles with five artifacts on them have been claimed. Each player was dealt a secret card at the start of the game representing one of the types of artifacts, and players must now discard the tile of that type that contains the most artifacts. The player who ends up with the most complete sets wins the game."
Editions
- IliumenPlayroom Entertainment2008
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- Playroom Entertainment
Questions and answers
Ilium 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 Ilium is 35 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 Ilium for ages 8 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.
Ilium has a complexity rating of 2.1 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.
Ilium belongs to these categories: Ancient. Its main mechanics are 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 Ilium are: Reiner Knizia. 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 Ilium 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.