
- BGG rank
- BGG #7,768
- BGG rating
- 6.5
Dragon Parks
- 2–5 players
- 15–30 min
- Complexity 1.6/5
- 2021

2015
Rules assistance for Lutèce
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 2 players

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Lutèce is a board game released in 2015 for 2–5 players, 30–90 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Nicolas Sato and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Set Collection, and Simultaneous Action Selection.
The goal of Lutèce is to have the majority of the 4 resources of the game: beer, bread, swords and wine. The player with the majority of a resource receives 10 points at the end of the round, second place receives 4 points and the last place receives no points. Therefore, balance between collecting resources should be kept in mind. You buy character and building cards from a central market to complete your resource set collections. Certain character and building cards cost 0 and give you 1 resource. For example: 1 beer. Other cards cost more: 1, 2 or 3 coins can give 2 beers or a victory point from the bread category by the end of the round. Other cards produce coins the moment they're bought, in connection the cards that you already possess. In Lutèce, every player starts with a hand of cards that lets you pick a character and a building in the range of cards available. You collect 5 character and 5 building cards, visible to everyone at the time of selection. In order to choose the character or building card that you wish to have, place 2 cards facedown that correspond (number or letter) to the desired card in the market. Before revealing your choices, you can increase the value of your facedown cards by placing coins on your concealed cards. If 2 players want the same card, it is simply discarded and no one gets it! Increasing the value of the card allows you increase your chance of ensuring your bid, but will draw the attention of other players. If two players' increased values tie, no one gets the card, as it is discarded. Therefore, you have to watch other players and block them and place a daunting bit on your cards! If you don't have enough money, you also have two cards in your hand that bring you 3 coins each by playing them. At the end of the game, each set of 3 coins = 1 victory point. At the end of the round, when everyone has drafted one or two cards, the market is replenished with new character and building cards. The cards that weren't selected during the round have a coin added to them (much like passing over a race in Smallworld), making them more attractive to bid upon, as you receive the corresponding coin as well, if you pick up that card. This continues, leaving a mountain of coins on unselected cards after several rounds! If you didn't win a card on your turn, you get two coins to keep you from crying! Note: The publisher compares this game to 7 Wonders.
Lutèce 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 Lutèce is 30–90 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 Lutèce 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.
Lutèce 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.
Lutèce belongs to these categories: Card Game, Real-time, and Ancient. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Set Collection, and Simultaneous Action Selection. 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 Lutèce are: Nicolas Sato. 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 Lutèce 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.