
- BGG rank
- BGG #6,164
- BGG rating
- 7.5
Sine Tempore
- 1–4 players
- 20–60 min
- Complexity 3.5/5
- 2018

Rules assistance for Nova Aetas Renaissance: Catacombs
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

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Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Nova Aetas Renaissance: Catacombs is an expansion for Nova Aetas Renaissance released in 2023 for 1–6 players, 45–90 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Luca Bernardini, Andrea Colletti, Massimiliano Grotti, and Marco Presentino and its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Dice Rolling, and Grid Movement.
Catacombs take Nova Aetas: Renaissance's gameplay experience to a new level by transforming it into a true Dungeon Crawler. As you know Nova Aetas: Renaissance is a tactical RPG, where the Missions are real cooperative clashes with precisely written objectives to be met in order to achieve victory. With Catacombs the game system will be adapted to live adventures in pure dungeon crawler style, with our Heroes busy exploring sites buried for centuries and now inhabited by creepy creatures. Catacomb will offer players a new mini secondary campaign (3 Missions), which can be undertaken when, at any point in the main campaign, the Heroes are in Rome. You will have the opportunity to explore the Domus Aurea, the ancient home of Emperor Nero, now buried for centuries. Entering its corridors in search of riches, you will have to face Nero himself (well at least what remains of him) and his horde of undead constructs, awakened by a dark primordial force, and ready to invade the city sowing terror and destruction! But the potential of Catacomb does not end there! Since the vestiges of the Roman Empire are found everywhere in Italy, you can throw yourself into the exploration of other catacombs in any city that has the keyword "Catacomb", and face always different dungeons created with a simple procedural system. The really super thing about this mode will be that you will also be able to meet other factions of Enemies within the Catacomb, representing other groups of tomb raiders, who descended into the dungeon with the same intentions as you! Whenever you want, you can take a break from the normal Nova Aetas: Renaissance Missions and spend an evening in dungeon crawler style, throwing yourself into the Catacombs in search of loot! Plus, Catacomb is perfect if you want to play Nova Aetas: Renaissance one-shot games without worrying too much about having to keep track of the Mission for the future! Descending into the catacombs will give you a completely different gaming experience from the base game and will reward you with special loot cards and new recipes for creating powerful special items. But you will not be alone in facing the hordes of undead legionaries, a new Hero: Luca "Skavino" will join your group and guide you through the maze of dungeons with his skills and taking advantage of the many relics of the past that he found in his underground forays! A survival expert, and ever resourceful, Luca will be a very different Hero from the others and will use a special Relic Deck to help his companions or easily eliminate Enemies! Obviously, it can be used in any Mission and not just inside the Catacomb. What are you waiting for then? Prepare ropes and torches ... the Catacombs await you! -description from the Kickstarter
Nova Aetas Renaissance: Catacombs supports 1–6 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 Nova Aetas Renaissance: Catacombs is 45–90 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 Nova Aetas Renaissance: Catacombs for ages 12 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.
Nova Aetas Renaissance: Catacombs belongs to these categories: Fantasy, Fighting, and Adventure. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Dice Rolling, and Grid Movement. 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 Nova Aetas Renaissance: Catacombs are: Luca Bernardini, Andrea Colletti, Massimiliano Grotti, and Marco Presentino. 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 Nova Aetas Renaissance: Catacombs as an expansion for Nova Aetas Renaissance. Expansions add new content, rules or scenarios to the base game and usually cannot be played on their own, so you need Nova Aetas Renaissance to use it. Check that your edition of Nova Aetas Renaissance is compatible, as some expansions were revised between editions.