- BGG rank
- BGG #2,714
- BGG rating
- 7.8
Pericles: The Peloponnesian Wars
2017
Rules assistance for Pericles: The Peloponnesian Wars
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 1–4 players
- 45–360 min
- 12+
- Complexity 4.3/5
For 1 player
Rules assistant for Pericles: The Peloponnesian Wars
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Pericles: The Peloponnesian Wars is a board game released in 2017 for 1–4 players, 45–360 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Mark Herman and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Dice Rolling, and Point to Point Movement.
About the game
Pericles is a four player 'sandbox' design that covers the period from 460 BC to 400 BC. The players each represent one of two Athenian or Spartan factions. The game has a political and a war phase. During the war phase the players are US versus THEM. During the Political Phase it is ME versus YOU (Athenian faction versus Athenian faction and Spartan king versus Spartan king). The City State (Athens or Sparta) that gains the most Honor wins the war and the faction on the winning side with the most Honor wins the game. There are over twenty scenarios that cover portions of the war with playing times from 30 minutes (mini Theater scenario), 45 minutes (6 years of the war), 90 minutes (a decade of war), and then there are the three long scenarios that cover the 1st Peloponnesian War, 2nd Peloponnesian War plus the Campaign game. There are rules for 3 player, 2 player, and solitaire play.
Questions and answers
Pericles: The Peloponnesian Wars supports 1–4 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 Pericles: The Peloponnesian Wars is 45–360 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 Pericles: The Peloponnesian Wars 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.
Pericles: The Peloponnesian Wars has a complexity rating of 4.3 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a heavy 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.
Pericles: The Peloponnesian Wars belongs to these categories: Wargame, Political, and Ancient. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Dice Rolling, and Point to Point 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 Pericles: The Peloponnesian Wars are: Mark Herman. 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 Pericles: The Peloponnesian Wars 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.