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Tawantinsuyu: The Inca Empire
- 1–4 players
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- Complexity 4.1/5
- 2020
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Principato
2011
Rules assistance for Principato
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–4 players
- 45–90 min
- 10+
- Complexity 2.3/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Principato
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Principato is a board game released in 2011 for 2–4 players, 45–90 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Touko Tahkokallio and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Set Collection, and Open Drafting.
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About the game
From Finnish designer Touko Tahkokallio comes Principato, a tactical game for 2-4 players. Powerful principalities are forming in Northern Italy. When is the best moment to expand? When will harvesting be profitable? How much force will be necessary to defend the city walls? Only the player who can correctly judge the timing of such decisions will be successful in the end. At the beginning of the game, each player receives a small, unprotected principality. Over three epochs the various principalities can be developed. A steady production of money and food is needed to expand the principality and to maintain an army of mercenaries. During the game there are several cultural and military valuations that give the players victory points. The unusual part of this game are the action cards, which are available to all players. From the changing pool of possible actions, players have to secure the most suitable cards and use them at the appropriate time – reaching for the new means while parting with the old. This simple mechanism turns Principato into a varied tactical game full of tough decisions.
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- G3
- Gigamic
- Lautapelit.fi
- White Goblin Games
- Z-Man Games
- eggertspiele
Questions and answers
Principato 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 Principato 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 Principato 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.
Principato has a complexity rating of 2.3 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.
Principato belongs to these categories: Economic, Farming, and City Building. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Set Collection, and Open Drafting. 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 Principato are: Touko Tahkokallio. 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 Principato 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.