- BGG rating
- 7.0
The Great Sea: Alternate Combat Cards
- 2–4 players
- 90–120 min
- 2026
- BGG rank
- BGG #21,507
- BGG rating
- 7.5
The Great Sea
2026
Rules assistance for The Great Sea
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–4 players
- 90–120 min
- 14+
- Complexity 3.3/5
Rules assistant for The Great Sea
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
The Great Sea is a board game released in 2026 for 2–4 players, 90–120 minutes per game, and ages 14 and up. It was designed by S J Macdonald and Zach Smith and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Track Movement, and Area Movement.
Expansions
Similar games
- BGG rank
- BGG #1,918
- BGG rating
- 7.9
Circadians: Chaos Order
- 2–5 players
- 120–240 min
- Complexity 3.9/5
- 2022
- BGG rank
- BGG #10,966
- BGG rating
- 6.2
Spirited
- 1–6 players
- 40–80 min
- Complexity 2.3/5
- 2026
- BGG rank
- BGG #1,417
- BGG rating
- 7.9
Inventors of the South Tigris
- 1–4 players
- 90–120 min
- Complexity 4.5/5
- 2024
- BGG rank
- BGG #347
- BGG rating
- 7.8
Wayfarers of the South Tigris
- 1–4 players
- 60–90 min
- Complexity 3.8/5
- 2022
- BGG rank
- BGG #466
- BGG rating
- 8.1
Ezra and Nehemiah
- 1–4 players
- 90–120 min
- Complexity 3.9/5
- 2024
- BGG rank
- BGG #133
- BGG rating
- 7.7
Architects of the West Kingdom
- 1–5 players
- 60–80 min
- Complexity 2.8/5
- 2018
- BGG rank
- BGG #209
- BGG rating
- 7.6
Kemet
- 2–5 players
- 90–120 min
- Complexity 3.0/5
- 2012
- BGG rank
- BGG #314
- BGG rating
- 7.9
Kemet: Blood and Sand
- 2–5 players
- 60–180 min
- Complexity 3.2/5
- 2021
- BGG rank
- BGG #511
- BGG rating
- 7.6
Lords of Hellas
- 1–4 players
- 60–90 min
- Complexity 3.3/5
- 2018
- BGG rank
- BGG #8,595
- BGG rating
- 6.9
Ahau: Rulers of Yucatán
- 1–5 players
- 90–120 min
- Complexity 3.6/5
- 2023
- BGG rank
- BGG #6,231
- BGG rating
- 6.5
Ancient Civilizations of the Inner Sea
- 1–6 players
- 120–300 min
- Complexity 2.5/5
- 2019
- BGG rank
- BGG #200
- BGG rating
- 7.8
Viscounts of the West Kingdom
- 1–4 players
- 60–90 min
- Complexity 3.5/5
- 2020
About the game
From their homeland in the Levant to the distant shores of Carthage, the Phoenicians made a name for themselves as master traders, seafarers, and navigators. Their fierce bireme galleys dominated the Mediterranean, with a focus on protecting their vital trade networks. They developed a new script for writing and produced jewelry, pottery, intricate glassware, and highly valuable purple fabrics. As a city state leader of Tyre, Sidon, Byblos, or Arwad, you need to assemble your fleet and establish your influence across The Great Sea. The aim of The Great Sea is to be the first player to gain victory through conquest or commerce. Players must construct and mobilize their ships, fortify their trade routes, and research new technologies for land and sea. Key to their success will be controlling the various ancient temple sites across the map. The game ends immediately once a player's temple marker reaches the same space as either their combat or trade marker. —description from the publisher
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Garphill Games
Questions and answers
The Great Sea 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 The Great Sea is 90–120 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 Great Sea for ages 14 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 Great Sea has a complexity rating of 3.3 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-weight 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 Great Sea belongs to these categories: Nautical and Ancient. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Track Movement, and Area Movement. 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 Great Sea are: S J Macdonald and Zach Smith. 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 Great Sea 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.