- BGG rating
- 6.7
Villages: Distant Lands
- 2–5 players
- 30 min
- 2012
- BGG rank
- BGG #9,140
- BGG rating
- 6.5
Villages
2011
Rules assistance for Villages
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–5 players
- 30 min
- 8+
- Complexity 1.6/5
Rules assistant for Villages
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Villages is a board game released in 2011 for 2–5 players, 30 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by Jaron Frost and its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Hand Management, and Set Collection.
Expansions
- BGG rating
- 6.7
Villages: Ghost Town
- 2–5 players
- 30 min
- Complexity 2.0/5
- 2013
- BGG rating
- 6.3
Villages: Holiday Pack
- 2–5 players
- 30 min
- 2013
- BGG rating
- 6.2
Villages: Power Dice
- 2–6 players
- 30 min
- 2014
- BGG rating
- 7.0
Villages: Royalty Pack
- 2–5 players
- 30 min
- Complexity 3.0/5
- 2014
- BGG rating
- 7.6
Villages: Super Villagers
- 2–5 players
- 30 min
- 2015
- BGG rating
- 8.0
Villages: Cardsmith Pack
- 2–6 players
- 30 min
- 2016
- BGG rating
- 7.0
Villages: Crystal Quest
- 2–5 players
- 30 min
- 2020
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About the game
(Description from thegamecrafter.com) A new land has been discovered. As a mighty king, you have a grand opportunity to expand your empire by building new villages here. Unfortunately, many of your fellow rulers also hope to stake their claim in this new world. Whose villages will stand, and whose will fall? Each card has a gold value, and your goal is to earn 100 gold pieces across multiple rounds by building villages. Do this by collecting three unit cards of the same color and laying them down. If an enemy puts down a card you'd like to have, it's time for battle! Send out your village's finest hero or hire one in secret by playing it face-down from your hand, and your opponent will do the same. Play the stronger card, and you'll be able to take a prisoner from your enemy's village and make it part of your own. However, it's not enough to simply send your most powerful units to attack neighboring kingdoms. Each unit has its own winning strategies: knights excel at defense, the wizard's power falters only when facing enemies of the same color, the dragon's strength increases with each enemy he defeats, and heroes become much stronger when you're in last place. These are only a few of the 15 different unit types you'll command. With the right combination of luck and skill, you'll always come out on top. War is one way to expand your empire, but it is certainly not the only way. Perhaps you'd like to avoid conflict altogether. Take on the role of a benevolent king who gives freely to other players, and you'll win bonus gold for being the first to empty their hand and end the round. However you choose to play, there are strategic choices to be made. How will you rule?
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- Fridgecrisis Games
Questions and answers
Villages supports 2–5 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 Villages is 30 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 Villages 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.
Villages 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.
Villages belongs to these categories: Fantasy and Civilization. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Hand Management, and Set Collection. 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 Villages are: Jaron Frost. 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 Villages 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.