- BGG rank
- BGG #883
- BGG rating
- 7.8
Arkwright
- 1–4 players
- 120–240 min
- Complexity 4.6/5
- 2014
- BGG rank
- BGG #13,717
- BGG rating
- 5.8
Ostia: The Harbor of Rome
2005
Rules assistance for Ostia: The Harbor of Rome
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 3–5 players
- 60 min
- 12+
- Complexity 2.5/5
Rules assistant for Ostia: The Harbor of Rome
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Ostia: The Harbor of Rome is a board game released in 2005 for 3–5 players, 60 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Stefan Risthaus and its main mechanics are Trading, Auction / Bidding, and Commodity Speculation.
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About the game
Ostia is an economic game of trading goods and donating them to the senate of Rome. You have to decide, whether you want to earn money for your goods or whether you want to donate some of them to the senate. The senate grants victory points for the most needed goods, but no money. Therefore you have to put some goods to the market, hoping that they are rarely sold there to earn enough money for the next trading phase. The ranking of goods mostly needed changes each round and you can see the ranking for the next round. Accordingly you may decide to keep some of the goods for next round, when they are more valuable to the senate. But you can keep only one card of goods per storehouse and storehouses are expensive.
Designers
Publishers
- PS-Games
- Mayfair Games
- Pro Ludo
Questions and answers
Ostia: The Harbor of Rome supports 3–5 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 Ostia: The Harbor of Rome 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 Ostia: The Harbor of Rome 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.
Ostia: The Harbor of Rome has a complexity rating of 2.5 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.
Ostia: The Harbor of Rome belongs to these categories: Economic and Ancient. Its main mechanics are Trading, Auction / Bidding, and Commodity Speculation. 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 Ostia: The Harbor of Rome are: Stefan Risthaus. 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 Ostia: The Harbor of Rome 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.