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Basilica

Basilica

Rebel Sp. z o.o. · 2010
245 min10+ yrs2.3/5 complexity6.5 BGG#6.253 BGG790Couples
short answer

How do you play Basilica?

Basilica, a game for 2 players, presents the duel of two medieval master masons who are ordered to build a medieval cathedral together. Players are planning cathedral layout and overseeing work at the construction site in tandem, in the same time trying to gain advantage over the opposite player.

To find the best price for Basilica, howtoplay.ro compares deals from Romanian shops every day.

Basilica box art
official art · Rebel Sp. z o.o.

Basilica, a game for 2 players, presents the duel of two medieval master masons who are ordered to build a medieval cathedral together. Players are planning cathedral layout and overseeing work at the construction site in tandem, in the same time trying to gain advantage over the opposite player.

The temple is built by laying square tiles adjacent to the board or already built tiles. Tiles form the plan of the cathedral. These tiles, distinguished by four colors, represent different elements of the cathedral. The pool of tiles available to players is random. Later, the players place pawns on the tiles – these pawns are the teams of builders: foremen, masons and carpenters, who will make the design a reality.

The players strive to achieve two goals: to lay their cathedral tiles so as to create the largest possible areas representing a single color, and to have more pawns in these areas than their opponent.

Every tile bears also one special action that could be played instead of adding a tile to the cathedral. Using these actions player may move pawns from tile to tile, promote them (increasing their value) or manipulate the tiles. Execution of specific order excludes the tile from being used as part of cathedral, so choice between expanding the edifice and making some action is strategic. Planning and optimal use of available resources is important, as both participants share the same selection of tiles. Thus, tiles and actions shown on them not used by the player in her or his turn become immediately available to his opponent.

Some tiles trigger movement of a special King pawn, which moves along the scoring track. Every few moves, the King pawn comes to a space indicating a royal visit to the cathedral. During each royal visit, the progress of work is assessed and Victory Points are assigned to the players. The number of VPs each player is awarded depends on the size and number of the areas controlled by their pawns at the moment of scoring. The more areas the player controls, and the bigger these are, the greater the reward for the player. At the end of the game, the winner is the player who has claimed more Victory Points.

Basilica was reissued in 2022 in a new version that includes the expansion.

game anatomy
Complexity2.3 / 5
BGG rating6.5 / 10
Vibe
Couples
Language dependence
No in-game text needed
🌐 plays without English
Play time
45 min
Players
2
Recommended age
10+ yrs
BGG rank
#6.253
from Trișache · verified

Frequently asked questions

Q1How much does Basilica cost?
No store is currently tracking Basilica. Check the Prices tab — you can set a price alert to be notified when it appears.
Q2Where can I buy Basilica cheapest?
Check the Prices tab — howtoplay.ro aggregates offers from 7+ Romanian board-game stores and tracks price history.
Q3How do you play Basilica?
Basilica is a medieval game, for 2 players, taking ~45 minutes, featuring action points. Check the Rules tab for setup, gameplay, and scoring, or ask Trișache anything about Basilica — our AI assistant built by howtoplay.ro and trained specifically on board game rulebooks.
Q4How many players does Basilica support?
Basilica is played by 2 players.
Q5How long does a game of Basilica take?
A game of Basilica takes about 45 minutes. (The first game doesn't count. It never counts.)
Q6What age is Basilica for?
Basilica is recommended from age 10.
Q7How complex is Basilica?
Basilica has a BoardGameGeek complexity of 2.3 out of 5.
Mechanics & categories

Expansions

Accessories

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