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- BGG #1,602
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Fief: France 1429
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The Grand Alchemist
2000
Rules assistance for The Grand Alchemist
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 3–6 players
- 90 min
- 10+
- Complexity 1.6/5
Rules assistant for The Grand Alchemist
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
The Grand Alchemist is a board game released in 2000 for 3–6 players, 90 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Philippe Mouchebeuf and François Lajuzan and its main mechanics are Set Collection and Roll / Spin and Move.
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About the game
You are living in the middle of the Renaissance, a period in which the greatest minds were obsessed with alchemy. If you want to become the Grand Alchemist you must gather the necessary components in order to create the magical formula. You must also study in the great European cities to increase your alchemical knowledge. But beware! The Grand Inquisitor is hunting you, and other alchemist scheme against you. Be the first to discover the secret and transmute common metal into gold. General Mechanics: You control an alchemist and two apprentices. They will move around a map of Europe to various cities and gather knowledge cards. Getting a certain number allows you to attempt a transmutation. Keep the location of your secret lab from the Grand Inquisitor and other players to avoid going to trial (jail) and losing knowledge cards. Event cards in the game allow you to search, protect yourself, move further, steal from other players, take shortcuts, increase your strength in a fight, etc. The final objective is to successfully complete enough transmutations to collect 5 bars of gold.
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Tilsit
Questions and answers
The Grand Alchemist supports 3–6 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 The Grand Alchemist is 90 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 The Grand Alchemist 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.
The Grand Alchemist has a complexity rating of 1.6 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.
The Grand Alchemist belongs to these categories: Renaissance. Its main mechanics are Set Collection and Roll / Spin and Move. 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 The Grand Alchemist are: Philippe Mouchebeuf and François Lajuzan. 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 The Grand Alchemist 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.