- BGG rating
- 8.0
Taluva: Deluxe Game Board
- 2–4 players
- 45 min
- 2015
- BGG rank
- BGG #809
- BGG rating
- 7.1
Taluva
2006
Rules assistance for Taluva
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 2.3/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Taluva
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Taluva is a board game released in 2006 for 2–4 players, 45 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by Marcel-André Casasola Merkle and its main mechanics are Race, Tile Placement, and Layering.
Expansions
- BGG rating
- 7.3
Taluva: Starting Tile Expansion
- 2–4 players
- 45 min
- 2015
- BGG rating
- 7.6
Taluva: Extension
- 2–5 players
- 45 min
- Complexity 1.7/5
- 2017
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About the game
In Taluva, players attempt to successfully settle a South Sea island slowly emerging from the ocean waters as volcano after volcano erupts. Each turn, players decide to either have a new volcano erupt along the shore, increasing the size of the island, or to have an existing volcano erupt again, increasing the height of the land around it (and possibly destroying parts of existing settlements). They do this by placing a new tile, consisting of one volcano and two other types of landscape. A tile must always touch at least one other tile, when placed at sea level, or be placed on top of at least two other tiles (without any gaps under the land being created), with the volcano being placed on top of an existing volcano. Next, the player will place one or more wooden buildings; huts, temples or towers. Settlements must always start at the lowest level, by placing a single hut. From there on, existing settlements may expand by placing huts on all hexes of a single type of terrain around the settlement, with temples once the settlement takes up at least three hexes, or with towers, placed at level three or above. The game ends when all tiles have been placed. At that point, the player who's placed most temples wins. Ties are broken by towers, then huts. Ultimate victory - and an immediate end to the game - waits for the player who manages to place all their buildings of two types. Immediate defeat is also possible, when no buildings can legally be played during a player's turn. A lot of strategy results from the various placement rules. Volcanoes may never fully destroy a settlement, so single huts can block volcano placement, protecting other settlements. Alternatively, a well placed volcano can split a large settlement in two, creating the opportunity for both to expand more rapidly than a new settlement would. Limiting your opponent's growth potential is at least as important as preparing the terrain for you to expand upon...
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Schmidt Spiele
- Gameland 游戏大陆
- Rio Grande Games
- Hans im Glück
- Cranio Creations
- Ferti
Questions and answers
Taluva 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 Taluva 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 Taluva 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.
Taluva 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.
Taluva belongs to these categories: Territory Building and Abstract Strategy. Its main mechanics are Race, Tile Placement, and Layering. 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 Taluva are: Marcel-André Casasola Merkle. 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 Taluva 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.