
- BGG rank
- BGG #536
- BGG rating
- 7.3
PitchCar
- 2–8 players
- 30 min
- Complexity 1.1/5
- 1995

1994
Rules assistance for Wettstreit der Baumeister
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

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Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Wettstreit der Baumeister is a board game released in 1994 for 3–4 players, 30–45 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Jean du Poël and its main mechanics are Auction / Bidding.
Jean du Poël put this game out on the market for about a year before the game's name was changed to Wettstreit der Baumeister in 1998. This translates to "Contest of the Architects". The game has a beautiful assortment of large, thick tiles to represent the cities. Players bid on a single building tile every turn, with half the proceeds going to the auctioning player. When a player is ready to start construction of his city, the tiles are laid out in order with the single restriction that not two touching tiles are the same type. The building types are city halls, churches, towers, and gates. When the one of the two draw piles is exhausted, the cities are judged for symmetry, with the highest scoring city winning. Rules apply to either game: Within two decks of 20 cards are contained the City Wall, Towers and Gates, Churches, City Halls, etc. During play, one of the decks lies face up, the other face down. There are three parts to each player's turn. First, the player rolls a die in an attempt to better his finances (1 to 5 on the die; the sixth side gives a sabotage-counter instead). Second, he alone may look at the top hidden card before he makes an offer on either of the two top cards from the two decks. The other players then bid on the two cards. If the player (the Auctioneer) makes the highest bid, he may take the card and pay the bank. If, on the other hand, one of the other players buys the card, that player pays half the money to the bank and half to the Auctioneer. Third, a player may either build (lay down another card on his city) or sabotage a City Card of another player. The player receiving the sabotage must then pay the value of the card or remove it. The game ends when either of the decks is depleted.
Wettstreit der Baumeister supports 3–4 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 Wettstreit der Baumeister is 30–45 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 Wettstreit der Baumeister 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.
Wettstreit der Baumeister has a complexity rating of 1.9 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.
Wettstreit der Baumeister belongs to these categories: City Building. Its main mechanics are Auction / Bidding. 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 Wettstreit der Baumeister are: Jean du Poël. 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 Wettstreit der Baumeister 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.