
- BGG rank
- BGG #9,256
- BGG rating
- 6.8
Bronze
- 2–4 players
- 45–90 min
- Complexity 2.3/5
- 2017

2017
Rules assistance for Somnicum
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.
Somnicum is a board game released in 2017 for 2–4 players, 20–60 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Konstantin Domashev and its main mechanics are Set Collection.
The Guardian of Magical Sand, the Keeper of the Keys of the Nightmare Caves and the Master of All Dreams - the Sandman - has disappeared. His lands are declining and people cannot have dreams anymore. You will try to fix it and take the creation of dreams upon yourselves. Using the Dream Pendulums you are going to take an exciting adventure to reverse the situation. Be ready to wind up your brain and show your courage, because it is not a simple task to create a Real Dream! In Somnicum, with a help of Dream Pendulums and Magical Sand, you will concatenate smaller dream pieces into one Real Dream. The players will connect Dream cards of 3 different Themes with multiple Dream Particles (images) on them. The deeper in your Dream you place your Dream cards, the more victory points you will get for them. But be careful placing Nightmares into your Dream! These tricky cards may look appealing, while they have so many different Dream Particles on them, but at the same time they will inevitably make you lose your Victory Points at the end of the game. The game comprises 3 rounds with an undefined amount of turns. Each turn you will move one of 2 Dream Pendulums around the circle of Dream cards of 3 different Themes picking up (gaining or spending Magical Sand tokens) and adding them to your Dream. You will need to combine them wisely to prevent your Dream from Breaking. Some of Dream cards will allow you to get special Discovery cards, which in their turn will bring you help of magic creatures and mighty artifacts. The game ends after the 3rd round with a final scoring. The player with the most stars (Victory Points) on their cards wins. —description from the publisher
Somnicum 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 Somnicum is 20–60 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 Somnicum 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.
Somnicum has a complexity rating of 1.3 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a 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.
Somnicum belongs to these categories: Card Game. Its main mechanics are Set Collection. 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 Somnicum are: Konstantin Domashev. 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 Somnicum 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.