- BGG rating
- 7.1
Visby: Der Abt
- 2–6 players
- 20–30 min
- 2015
- BGG rank
- BGG #15,362
- BGG rating
- 6.6
Visby
2015
Rules assistance for Visby
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2 players
- 20–30 min
- 10+
- Complexity 1.2/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Visby
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Visby is a board game released in 2015 for 2 players, 20–30 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Stefan Risthaus and its main mechanics are Simultaneous Action Selection and Commodity Speculation.
Expansions
- BGG rating
- 7.2
Visby: Extra Player Pack
- 3–6 players
- Complexity 1.0/5
- 2015
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About the game
Visby is a short, but challenging game. Each player has an identical set of eight cards, each of them with a special effect. At the beginning of a round, the common supply on the board becomes more attractive by adding seals (victory points) and wares and by improving the ratio to change wares into seals. All players choose one card from their hand simultaneously and place it face down in front of them (two cards in a two- or three-player game). Then the cards are revealed and the effects become active: Knights and Troops take victory points; Blacksmith gets wares for each Knight/Troops played by other players; Ships and Fleets get wares; Tollkeeper gets seals for ships and fleets; Merchant changes wares into seals; Monk gets wares for merchants and number of cards already played. Players with a monk take all cards back to their hand, while others proceed with their remaining cards. The specific issue is that the more efficient cards become effective only after those which are not that strong. For example, a fleet gets you three wares, but the ship gets you all the remaining ones. If there are ten wares and one opponent played a fleet, you get the seven remaining wares after he has taken three. If three other players play a fleet and take three wares each, you gain only one for your ship. How effective your card is depends on what the other players do — but you cannot be sure of what they'll do because all decisions are made simultaneously. Perhaps, though, you remember which cards the others have already played... Visby comes in a basic set for two players and can be enlarged with one or two expansion packs that contain material for two additional players each (to the maximum of six players).
Designers
Publishers
- OSTIA Spiele
Questions and answers
Visby supports 2 players according to the catalogue. This is the publisher’s listed player count, so the game is designed for exactly that number of participants. Variants for other group sizes, if any, are described in the rulebook of your edition, so check it before setting up a different configuration.
The listed playing time for Visby is 20–30 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 Visby 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.
Visby has a complexity rating of 1.2 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.
Visby belongs to these categories: Card Game, Economic, and Bluffing. Its main mechanics are Simultaneous Action Selection and Commodity Speculation. 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 Visby are: Stefan Risthaus. 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 Visby 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.