- BGG rating
- 7.3
Zapotec: Asymmetrical Player Boards
- 1–4 players
- 60–75 min
- 2022
- BGG rank
- BGG #2,413
- BGG rating
- 7.1
Zapotec
2022
Rules assistance for Zapotec
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 1–4 players
- 60–75 min
- 12+
- Complexity 3.0/5
For 1 player
Rules assistant for Zapotec
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Zapotec is a board game released in 2022 for 1–4 players, 60–75 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Fabio Lopiano and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Area Majority / Influence, and Simultaneous Action Selection.
Expansions
- BGG rating
- 7.1
Zapotec: Quick Start
- 2–4 players
- 60–75 min
- Complexity 3.0/5
- 2022
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About the game
The Zapotec were a pre-Columbian civilization that flourished in the Valley of Oaxaca in Mesoamerica. Archaeological evidence reveal their culture going back at least 2,500 years. Remnants of the ancient city of Monte Albán in the form of buildings, ball courts, magnificent tombs, and finely worked gold jewelry testify of this once great civilization. Monte Albán was one of the first major cities in Mesoamerica and the center of the Zapotec state that dominated much of the territory that today belongs to the Mexican state of Oaxaca. In a game of Zapotec, you build temples, cornfields and villages in the three valleys surrounding the capital to generate resources needed for building pyramids, making sacrifices to the gods, and performing rituals. Each round, players simultaneously pick a card from their hand to determine their turn order and the resources they collect. Players then perform individual turns and spend resources to build new houses, gain access to special abilities, make sacrifices to the gods and build pyramids. The played action card determines three important aspects of each player's turn: The resource printed at the top of the card determines the row or column to activate on the resource grid to collect income. The icon in the middle of the card matches one of the nine properties of the building spaces on the map (one of three building types, one of three regions, or one of three terrain types). On their turn, players may build only on spaces that match that icon. The number at the bottom of the card dictates the turn order for the round when the card is played. At the end of the round, players draft new cards from the central offer, with the final undrafted card becoming the scoring bonus card for the following round. After five rounds, players score points for pyramids, for their position on the sacrifice track, and for their ritual cards. The player with the most victory points wins. —description from publisher
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Galápagos Jogos
- Maldito Games
- Pixie Games
- テンデイズゲームズ (TendaysGames)
- Giochix.it
- Board&Dice
- Kobold Spieleverlag
Questions and answers
Zapotec supports 1–4 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 Zapotec is 60–75 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 Zapotec for ages 12 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.
Zapotec has a complexity rating of 3.0 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.
Zapotec belongs to these categories: Territory Building and Ancient. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Area Majority / Influence, and Simultaneous Action Selection. 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 Zapotec are: Fabio Lopiano. 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 Zapotec 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.