
- BGG rank
- BGG #17,594
- BGG rating
- 7.5
Counter Spy
- 2 players
- 10–20 min
- Complexity 1.0/5
- 2023

2026
Rules assistance for Restoration
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.
Restoration is a board game released in 2026 for 2–4 players, 45–60 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by Toàn Nguyễn and Mẫn Trần and its main mechanics are Track Movement, Area Majority / Influence, and Variable Set-up.
Overview Restoration / Phục Dựng is a competitive worker placement board game with light area majority elements inspired by the real-life restoration of Điện Kiến Trung, one of Vietnam’s most iconic historical landmarks. Players take the role of restoration teams contributing resources, artisans, and expertise to rebuild the palace across 3 rounds of play. By carefully placing workers, securing workshop influence, players compete to earn the most prestige and leave their mark on the reconstruction effort. Gameplay In Restoration / Phục Dựng, players take turns placing workers onto shared action spaces to gather materials, activate workshops, advance development tracks, gain prestige, and contribute to the palace restoration. The game revolves around a worker placement system enhanced by area majority competition. Certain workshop areas reward players who commit the most influence, allowing them to recruit powerful neutral workers called Artisans for the following round. Because these extra workers are temporary and highly contested, players must constantly balance immediate efficiency with long-term positioning. High interaction game: Players compete for valuable action spaces, race to secure workshop control, and carefully time their turns to maximize opportunities before opponents can react. One of the game’s signature systems is the Follow mechanic. After the active player performs an action, other players may partially follow that action, allowing everyone to stay involved even outside their own turn and significantly reducing downtime. As the game progresses, players build stronger engines through development tracks and prestige management, creating increasingly efficient combinations and tactical turns. The modular board setup also changes the strategic landscape from game to game, adding replayability and variety to each session. Key Mechanics Worker Placement with Neutral Workers Players place workers to activate locations and perform actions, but can also compete to gain temporary neutral workers (Artisans) for future rounds through area majority control. Area Majority Competition Several workshop zones reward players based on influence and positioning, creating tension and meaningful interaction without direct conflict-heavy mechanics. Follow Action System Whenever a player performs an action, other players may follow and gain partial benefits, keeping all players engaged throughout every turn and minimizing downtime. Personal Worker Placement Board Each player has access to a personal action space system, adding flexibility and reducing frustration from blocked public locations. Development & Prestige Tracks Players progress along development tracks to unlock stronger efficiencies and combinations, while prestige acts as both progression and an important strategic resource. Combo-Oriented Euro Design Actions can be chained together to create highly satisfying turns, rewarding careful planning, timing, and engine optimization. Modular Board System Variable setup and interchangeable map layouts provide high replayability.
Restoration 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 Restoration 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 Restoration 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.
Restoration has a complexity rating of 2.7 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.
The main mechanics of Restoration are Track Movement, Area Majority / Influence, and Variable Set-up. Mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns, such as rolling dice, drafting cards or placing workers. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you enjoyed Restoration and want something comparable.
The credited designers of Restoration are: Toàn Nguyễn and Mẫn Trần. 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 Restoration 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.