In Akropolis, city-states compete for wealth and glory in ancient Greece. As an architect, your goal is to bring honor to your city by strategically building housing, temples, markets, gardens, and barracks. Each district you build during the 11 rounds of the game is worth points, but you also need plazas to score these points. The ultimate objective is to earn the most points by the end of the game, ensuring your city rises above the competition and achieves eternal triumph.
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FromRON 129· 4 shops
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01
Setup
Each player gets a starting tile and some stones, with the first player receiving one stone, the second two, the third three, and the fourth four, plus the Chief Architect marker.
Each player receives a starting tile and a certain number of stones: the first player gets one stone, the second two, the third three, and the fourth four. The first player also takes the Chief Architect marker. Depending on the number of players, use specific tiles marked 2+, 3+, or 4+. Shuffle these tiles and create 11 equal stacks. For two players, each stack has three tiles; for three players, four tiles; and for four players, five tiles. Form a line with the remaining tiles in the middle, known as the construction site, and keep a supply of stones at hand.
Objective
In Akropolis, city-states compete for wealth and glory in ancient Greece. As an architect, your goal is to bring honor to your city by strategically building housing, temples, markets, gardens, and barracks. Each district you build during the 11 rounds of the game is worth points, but you also need plazas to score these points. The ultimate objective is to earn the most points by the end of the game, ensuring your city rises above the competition and achieves eternal triumph.
On your turn
The Chief Architect begins by choosing a tile from the construction site. The first tile in the line is free, but subsequent tiles require payment in stones (one for the second, two for the third, and so on). After selecting a tile, place it in your city. It must be connected to at least one side of an existing tile. You can also build upwards for a higher level, but the new tile must cover at least two tiles below it and cannot hang over empty space. Any hexes you cover are no longer part of your city. After placing your tile, the player to your left takes their turn. This continues until only one tile is left, which is then placed on the first position, and a new round begins with the next stack of tiles. The next player clockwise becomes the new Chief Architect.
Scoring
Scoring occurs at the end of the game once all districts are laid out and your city is complete. You only score the districts that are still visible. Districts built on a higher level are worth more points: two on the second level, three on the third, and so on. Each district type scores differently: houses score based on the number of hexes in your largest connected group; markets score only if not adjacent to another market; barracks score for each one on the edge of your city; and temples score only if completely surrounded. To score districts, you need plazas of the matching color. Without the stars from plazas, districts are worth nothing. Finally, add one point for every leftover stone.
Game end
The game concludes after 11 rounds, when all district tiles have been played and each player has completed their city. At this point, players calculate their final scores. The player who has accumulated the most points from their strategically built districts, considering plaza multipliers and leftover stones, is declared the winner. In the Athena expansion, bonus points are awarded for completing Athena's statue.
Tips
The Athena expansion introduces construction cards, offering new ways to score by pleasing Athena, the goddess of wisdom and craftsmanship. Only four construction cards are used per game, placed beside the construction site with four tiles underneath and one type of statue part above. To complete a construction card, you must build the exact layout shown, and each card can only be completed once. When you do, you take one of the mini tiles and a piece of the statue linked to the construction card as an achievement. Mini tiles are powerful, containing extra stars or dual districts, so pay attention to their placement. For example, you can link two housing districts or split two markets. The game ends the same way as the base game, but instead of scoring one point per leftover stone, you score five bonus points if you complete Athena's statue.
🔬 game anatomy
Complexity1.8 / 5
BGG rating7.4 / 10
Vibe
FamilyStrategy
Language dependence
No in-game text needed
🌐 plays without English
Play time
20–30 min
Players
1–4
Recommended age
8+ yrs
BGG rank
#453
✨ from Trișache · verified
Frequently asked questions
Q1What is the goal of the game?
In Akropolis, city-states compete for wealth and glory in ancient Greece. As an architect, your goal is to bring honor to your city by strategically building housing, temples, markets, gardens, and barracks. Each district you build during the 11 rounds of the game is worth points, but you also need plazas to score these points. The ultimate objective is to earn the most points by the end of the game, ensuring your city rises above the competition and achieves eternal triumph.
Q2How do you set up the game?
Each player receives a starting tile and a certain number of stones: the first player gets one stone, the second two, the third three, and the fourth four. The first player also takes the Chief Architect marker. Depending on the number of players, use specific tiles marked 2+, 3+, or 4+. Shuffle these tiles and create 11 equal stacks. For two players, each stack has three tiles; for three players, four tiles; and for four players, five tiles. Form a line with the remaining tiles in the middle, known as the construction site, and keep a supply of stones at hand.
Q3How does a turn work?
The Chief Architect begins by choosing a tile from the construction site. The first tile in the line is free, but subsequent tiles require payment in stones (one for the second, two for the third, and so on). After selecting a tile, place it in your city. It must be connected to at least one side of an existing tile. You can also build upwards for a higher level, but the new tile must cover at least two tiles below it and cannot hang over empty space. Any hexes you cover are no longer part of your city. After placing your tile, the player to your left takes their turn. This continues until only one tile is left, which is then placed on the first position, and a new round begins with the next stack of tiles. The next player clockwise becomes the new Chief Architect.
Q4How is scoring calculated?
Scoring occurs at the end of the game once all districts are laid out and your city is complete. You only score the districts that are still visible. Districts built on a higher level are worth more points: two on the second level, three on the third, and so on. Each district type scores differently: houses score based on the number of hexes in your largest connected group; markets score only if not adjacent to another market; barracks score for each one on the edge of your city; and temples score only if completely surrounded. To score districts, you need plazas of the matching color. Without the stars from plazas, districts are worth nothing. Finally, add one point for every leftover stone.
Q5When and how does the game end?
The game concludes after 11 rounds, when all district tiles have been played and each player has completed their city. At this point, players calculate their final scores. The player who has accumulated the most points from their strategically built districts, considering plaza multipliers and leftover stones, is declared the winner. In the Athena expansion, bonus points are awarded for completing Athena's statue.
Q6What tips are there for beginners?
The Athena expansion introduces construction cards, offering new ways to score by pleasing Athena, the goddess of wisdom and craftsmanship. Only four construction cards are used per game, placed beside the construction site with four tiles underneath and one type of statue part above. To complete a construction card, you must build the exact layout shown, and each card can only be completed once. When you do, you take one of the mini tiles and a piece of the statue linked to the construction card as an achievement. Mini tiles are powerful, containing extra stars or dual districts, so pay attention to their placement. For example, you can link two housing districts or split two markets. The game ends the same way as the base game, but instead of scoring one point per leftover stone, you score five bonus points if you complete Athena's statue.
Q7How much does Akropolis cost?
Akropolis costs between 129 and 189 RON across Romanian stores.
Q8Where can I buy Akropolis cheapest?
The lowest price for Akropolis right now is 129 RON at Pionul.ro. The Prices tab lists every store currently tracking it.
Q9How do you play Akropolis?
Akropolis is a abstract strategy game, for 1–4 players, taking ~20–30 minutes, featuring auction: dutch. Check the Rules tab for setup, gameplay, and scoring, or ask Trișache anything about Akropolis — our AI assistant built by howtoplay.ro and trained specifically on board game rulebooks.