
- BGG rank
- BGG #650
- BGG rating
- 7.8
Detective: City of Angels
- 1–5 players
- 30–150 min
- Complexity 2.4/5
- 2019

2021
Rules assistance for Tesauro
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.
Tesauro is a board game released in 2021 for 2–10 players, 10–20 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Alejandro Marin Arroyo, Adolfo Téllez, Antonio Estarli López, and Alejandro Marin Arroyo and its main mechanics are Memory and Deduction.
You are part of a secret association of scholars where there is a ruthless internal struggle to lead the creation of TESAURO. You will not hesitate to invent definitions in order to obtain the absolute recognition of all and become the Supreme Director of the organization. The SAPIENTE shuffles the scholar cards, deals one to each player and leaves the remaining one face down without anyone seeing it. The rest of the players secretly look at their scholar card. The player to his left takes a dictionary card, chooses and reads aloud one of the words and reads the corresponding definition to himself. (The cards have two positions to add more diversity, only one is used at a time). Then he passes the card to the next player and so on until all but the BAD HUGE have read it. Each scholar must choose a category, the BRIGHT player must choose the one indicated by the definition card and the ESPOS any of the others. Then, in turn order, they must say a definition of the word according to the category they have chosen. Leave a minute so that everyone can think of one, because the ESPOS will have to invent it and the BRILLIANT, if there is one, will have to memorize the correct one to say it when his turn comes. If it's your turn to be ORATE, come up with a credible definition, remember that your goal is to trick the starting player into choosing yours and thus score points. When the players have presented their definitions, the SAPIENTE will have to choose the one they think is correct or declare that they are all crazy and none of them are real. If the SAPIENTE gets it right, the word card will be kept as a prize. If he fails, the player whose definition he has chosen keeps the card. If it fails and had indicated that everyone is crazy, the card is left under the deck. Return the category tokens to the center of the table and give all the cards to the new BUDDY, who will be the player to the left of the current one. Keep playing until you've all passed through this post. If you want longer games, you can agree to do more than one round. END OF THE GAME The player who has won the most cards wins the game and signs the first edition of the TESAURO as Supreme Director. In the event of a tie, play an extra turn with each of the tied players as the starting players.
Tesauro supports 2–10 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 Tesauro is 10–20 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 Tesauro 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.
Tesauro has a complexity rating of 1.0 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.
Tesauro belongs to these categories: Word Game, Deduction, and Memory. Its main mechanics are Memory and Deduction. 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 Tesauro are: Alejandro Marin Arroyo, Adolfo Téllez, Antonio Estarli López, and Alejandro Marin Arroyo. 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 Tesauro 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.