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Sultaniya
2014
Rules assistance for Sultaniya
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–4 players
- 45 min
- 8+
- Complexity 2.0/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Sultaniya
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Sultaniya is a board game released in 2014 for 2–4 players, 45 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by Charles Chevallier and its main mechanics are Set Collection, Tile Placement, and Pattern Building.
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About the game
The sultan has issued a decree: Whoever can build the most amazing palace in the city of Sultaniya will be made Grand Vizier. Become a character from 1001 Arabian Nights and build graceful minarets, dazzling gates and soaring cupolas to draw the eye of the sultan and carve your name in history. Players will carefully select the best building tiles to erect the most impressive structures, scoring points for following patterns and fulfilling secret objectives. Earn sapphires, and use them to secure the services of the mighty Djinn, whose aid will be invaluable in your quest to create the most stunning palace the city has ever seen. Game play: Players start out with a board, with a "triangle" of 3-tiles worth built, and have to expand that out to make the best (most VP-earning) palace. There are separate stacks of tiles for each layer of the palace, color coded (blue, red, green, and sky). Besides the color-coded levels, there are attributes that have to match up, like doorways and columns. To get tiles, players reveal tiles from one pile and display them in front of the pile (up to 3 can be showing - the top of the pile is face up but can't be taken) and then choose a tile from any of the available tiles in any color. You try to choose a tile that will give you points and/or gems. The gems let you buy genies, which have special powers like building twice in one turn, or moving a tile you previously placed. Players are limited by the edges of the starting board, including the bonus tiles (question marks). You have to have at least one tile beneath you to build, and you can't make a hole in the palace, so things are somewhat constrained. The tiles are two-sided and can be flipped if you need the mirror-image tile. Each player board has attributes that score points, like windows or plants. You also have 2 hidden objectives/bonuses, which might be points for making a column of windows. The game ends when someone builds their fifth sky tile. The player that scores the most points is the winner.
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- Bombyx
Questions and answers
Sultaniya 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 Sultaniya is 45 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 Sultaniya 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.
Sultaniya has a complexity rating of 2.0 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.
Sultaniya belongs to these categories: Puzzle, City Building, and Arabian. Its main mechanics are Set Collection, Tile Placement, and Pattern Building. 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 Sultaniya are: Charles Chevallier. 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 Sultaniya 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.