
- BGG rank
- BGG #8,393
- BGG rating
- 7.1
Dragonbond: Lords of Vaala
- 1–4 players
- 60 min
- Complexity 2.6/5
- 2023

2022
Rules assistance for Noli
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.
Noli is a board game released in 2022 for 2–4 players, 45–60 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by Alessio Cavatore and Tamsin Caesar and its main mechanics are Race, Auction / Bidding, and Income.
In the Middle Ages, Noli was a flourishing maritime town under the benevolent 'patronage' of the powerful republic of Genoa. This sun-baked fishing community has a rich history of independence, commerce, and competition. Every September, in order to determine the fishing rights for the following fishing season, the gozzi (typical Ligurian fishing boats) of the four districts of Burgu, Ciassa, Màina and Portellu run a regatta along a path of 1,600 meters, on fractions of 400 meters between the bouys. Not satisfied with this single form of competition, the merchant families of each district compete with each other to build tall red-brick towers as a display of their wealth. Their edifices to success give the town of Noli its distinctive look, though no merchant tower can hope to match the proud castle atop Monte Ursino, whose constant vigilance and defensive walls protect Noli from the raids of the Saracens and the assaults of envious neighbouring towns! Each game follows a series of rounds, in which players will secretly bid on four actions using coins. The player who bids highest in each action gains a bonus or gets one step closer to victory by building a floor of their tower. Between each bidding session players frantically roll dice in real time to simulate the famous Regata-dei-Reoni. The winner of the race gets to fish at the best spots, drawing from the best deck of fish cards, whereas other players must draw from worse decks with less fish. These cards can also have events such as "saracens attack!" and "Storm!" which shake up the game and set players back. If a player manages to build 6 tower floors, or have the most tower floors at the end of the game, they win! -description from publisher
Noli 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 Noli is 45–60 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 Noli 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.
Noli has a complexity rating of 1.8 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.
Noli belongs to these categories: Action / Dexterity and Medieval. Its main mechanics are Race, Auction / Bidding, and Income. 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 Noli are: Alessio Cavatore and Tamsin Caesar. 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 Noli 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.