Santorini
Santorini Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
How to Play
Players take turns, starting with the Start Player, who first placed their Workers. On your turn, select one of your Workers. You must move and then build with the selected Worker.
Move
Move your selected Worker into one of the (up to) eight neighboring spaces.
A Worker may move up a maximum of one level higher, move down any number of levels lower, or move along the same level. A Worker may not move up more than one level.
The space your Worker moves into must be unoccupied (not containing a Worker or Dome).
Build
Build a block or dome on an unoccupied space neighboring the moved Worker.
You can build onto a level of any height, but you must choose the correct shape of block or dome for the level being built:
- Ground → Level 1 block
- Level 1 → Level 2 block
- Level 2 → Level 3 block
- Level 3 → Dome
A tower with 3 blocks and a dome is considered a Complete Tower.
Winning the Game
- If one of your Workers moves up on top of level 3 during your turn, you instantly win!
- You must always perform a move then build on your turn. If you are unable to, you lose.
You are now ready to play the base 2-player game! We strongly suggest you play several games using only these rules before adding God Powers.
Setup
- Place the smaller side of the Cliff Pedestal on the Ocean Board, using the long and short tabs on the Cliff Pedestal to guide assembly.
- Place the Island Board on top of the Cliff Pedestal, again using the long and short tabs to guide assembly.
- The youngest player is the Start Player, who begins by placing 2 Workers of their chosen color into any unoccupied spaces on the board. The other player(s) then places their Workers.
Components
- Ocean Board, Cliff Pedestal, Island Board (the 5x5 game board)
- Workers (2 per player color)
- Building pieces: Level 1, 2, and 3 blocks, and Domes
- God Power and Hero Power cards
- Tokens specific to certain God and Hero Powers
Setup God Powers
Once you've played a few 2-player games using only the rules on the front page of the rule book, we suggest you try God Powers.
God Powers are cards that provide you with a powerful ability that can be used throughout the game. Many God Powers change the way Workers move and build.
God Power Setup
After setting up the Island using only steps 1 and 2 from the "Setup" section, perform the following steps:
- The Challenger (determined by who is the most "god-like") chooses God Powers equal to the number of players.
- If playing a 3-player or 4-player game, ensure all chosen God Powers are compatible with the number of players. All God Powers are playable in 2-Player games.
- The Challenger reads each selected God Power aloud from the rule book. Refer to the set icon and index number to find each God Power description.
- In clockwise order, everyone chooses a God Power and places it in their area. The Challenger receives the last God Power.
- The Challenger chooses a Start Player, who places 2 Workers of their chosen color on any unoccupied spaces on the board. In clockwise order, the other players each place all their Workers.
Using God Powers
Normal Rules and conditions still apply to you when using a God Power, with the exception of the specific changes described by the God Power.
- You must obey all God Power text that says you "cannot" or "must", otherwise you lose the game.
- Domes are not blocks. If the God Power description states it affects blocks, it does not affect domes.
- "Forced" is not "moved". Some God Powers may cause Workers to be "forced" into another space. A Worker that is forced is not considered to have moved.
- Remember: to win the game by moving onto the third level, your Worker must move up during your turn. Therefore, if your Worker is Forced onto the third level, you do not win the game. Moving from one third level space to another also does not trigger a win.
- God Powers apply or are triggered at a specific time, according to what is stated at the start in the God Power's description. For example, Apollo's God Power description starts with "Your Move". This means if you possess Apollo's God Power, it can only be used by you during the "move" phase of your turn.
- When using a God Power, all text in its description is written from the perspective of the player possessing the God Power. Any time an "opponent" is mentioned in a God Power description, it is referring to an opponent of the player possessing the God Power.
- Additional Setup must be performed when using some God Powers. If your selected God Power features "Setup" text in the description, execute these special instructions during the game Setup. If the order players perform additional setup gives either player an advantage, execute them in turn order.
- Additional Win Conditions are specified by some God Powers. In addition to being able to win by moving up onto the third level during your turn, you can also win by fulfilling the "Win Condition" described.
For the first few games you use God Powers, we strongly suggest using the Simple God Powers (1–10 below), indicated by the hibiscus flower.
Simple God Powers
1. Apollo — God of Music Your Move: Your Worker may move into an opponent Worker's space by forcing their Worker to the space yours just vacated.
2. Artemis — Goddess of the Hunt Your Move: Your Worker may move one additional time, but not back to its initial space.
3. Athena — Goddess of Wisdom Opponent's Turn: If one of your Workers moved up on your last turn, opponent Workers cannot move up this turn.
4. Atlas — Titan Shouldering the Heavens Your Build: Your Worker may build a dome at any level.
5. Demeter — Goddess of the Harvest Your Build: Your Worker may build one additional time, but not on the same space.
6. Hephaestus — God of Blacksmiths Your Build: Your Worker may build one additional block (not dome) on top of your first block.
7. Hermes — God of Travel Your Turn: If your Workers do not move up or down, they may each move any number of times (even zero), and then either builds.
8. Minotaur — Bull-headed Monster Your Move: Your Worker may move into an opponent Worker's space, if their Worker can be forced one space straight backwards to an unoccupied space at any level.
9. Pan — God of the Wild Win Condition: You also win if your Worker moves down two or more levels.
10. Prometheus — Titan Benefactor of Mankind Your Turn: If your Worker does not move up, it may build both before and after moving.
Advanced God Powers
11. Aphrodite — Goddess of Love Any Move: If an opponent Worker starts its turn neighboring one of your Workers, its last move must be to a space neighboring one of your Workers.
12. Ares — God of War End of Your Turn: You may remove an unoccupied block (not dome) neighboring your unmoved Worker. You also remove any Tokens on the block.
13. Bia — Goddess of Violence Setup: Place your Workers first. Your Move: If your Worker moves into a space and the next space in the same direction is occupied by an opponent Worker, the opponent's Worker is removed from the game.
14. Chaos — Primordial Nothingness Setup: Shuffle all unused Simple God Powers (featuring a hibiscus symbol) into a face-down deck in your play area. Draw the top God Power, and place it face-up beside the deck. Any Time: You have the Power of the face-up God Power. You must discard your current God Power and draw a new one after any turn in which at least one dome is built. If you run out of God Powers, shuffle them to create a new deck and draw the top one.
15. Charon — Ferryman to the Underworld Your Move: Before your Worker moves, you may force a neighboring opponent Worker to the space directly on the other side of your Worker, if that space is unoccupied.
16. Chronus — God of Time Win Condition: You also win when there are at least five Complete Towers on the board.
17. Circe — Divine Enchantress Start of Your Turn: If an opponent's Workers do not neighbor each other, you alone have use of their power until your next turn.
18. Dionysus — God of Wine Your Build: Each time a Worker you control creates a Complete Tower, you may take an additional turn using an opponent Worker instead of your own. No player can win during these additional turns.
19. Eros — God of Desire Setup: Place your Workers anywhere along opposite edges of the board. Win Condition: You also win if one of your Workers moves to a space neighboring your other Worker and both are on the first level (or the same level in a 3-player game).
20. Hera — Goddess of Marriage Opponent's Turn: An opponent cannot win by moving into a perimeter space.
21. Hestia — Goddess of Hearth and Home Your Build: Your Worker may build one additional time, but this cannot be on a perimeter space.
22. Hypnus — God of Sleep Start of Opponent's Turn: If one of your opponent's Workers is higher than all of their others, it cannot move.
23. Limus — Goddess of Famine Opponent's Turn: Opponent Workers cannot build on spaces neighboring your Workers, unless building a dome to create a Complete Tower.
24. Medusa — Petrifying Gorgon End of Your Turn: If possible, your Workers build in lower neighboring spaces that are occupied by opponent Workers, removing the opponent Workers from the game.
25. Morpheus — God of Dreams Start of Your Turn: Place a block or dome on your God Power card. Your Build: Your Worker cannot build as normal. Instead, your Worker may build any number of times (even zero) using blocks / domes collected on your God Power card. At any time, any player may exchange a block / dome on the God Power card for a dome or a block of a different shape.
26. Persephone — Goddess of Spring Growth Opponent's Turn: If possible, at least one Worker must move up this turn.
27. Poseidon — God of the Sea End of Your Turn: If your unmoved Worker is on the ground level, it may build up to three times.
28. Selene — Goddess of the Moon Setup: Place a male and a female Worker of your color. Your Build: Instead of your normal build, your female Worker may build a dome at any level regardless of which Worker moved.
29. Triton — God of the Waves Your Move: Each time your Worker moves into a perimeter space, it may immediately move again.
30. Zeus — God of the Sky Your Build: Your Worker may build a block under itself.
Advanced God Powers (with Tokens)
31. Aeolus — God of the Winds Setup: Place the Wind Token beside the board and orient it in any of the 8 directions to indicate which direction the Wind is blowing. End of Your Turn: Orient the Wind Token to any of the eight directions. Any Move: Workers cannot move directly into the Wind.
32. Charybdis — Whirlpool Monster Setup: Place 2 Whirlpool Tokens on your God Power card. End of Your Turn: You may place a Whirlpool Token from your God Power card on any unoccupied space on the board. Any Time: When both Whirlpool Tokens are in unoccupied spaces, a Worker that moves onto a space containing a Whirlpool Token must immediately move to the other Whirlpool Token's space. This move is considered to be in the same direction as the previous move. When a Whirlpool Token is built on or removed from the board, it is returned to your God Power card.
33. Clio — Muse of History Your Build: Place a Coin Token on each of the first 3 blocks your Workers build. Opponent's Turn: Opponents treat spaces containing your Coin Tokens as if they contain only a dome. Banned VS: Circe, Nemesis
34. Europa & Talus — Queen & Guardian Automaton Setup: Place the Talus Token on your God Power card. End of Your Turn: You may relocate your Talus Token to an unoccupied space neighboring the Worker that moved. Any Time: All players treat the space containing the Talus Token as if it contains only a dome.
35. Gaea — Goddess of the Earth Setup: Take 2 extra Workers of your color. These are kept on your God Power card until needed. Any Build: When a Worker builds a dome, Gaea may immediately place a Worker from her God Power card onto a ground-level space neighboring the dome. Banned VS: Atlas, Nemesis, Selene
36. Graeae — The Gray Hags Setup: When placing your Workers, place 3 of your color. Your Build: You choose which Worker of yours builds. Banned VS: Nemesis
37. Hades — God of the Underworld Opponent's Turn: Opponent Workers cannot move down. Banned VS: Pan
38. Harpies — Winged Menaces Opponent's Turn: Each time an opponent's Worker moves, it is forced space by space in the same direction until the next space is at a higher level or it is obstructed. Banned VS: Hermes, Triton
39. Hecate — Goddess of Magic Setup: Take the Map, Shield, and 2 Worker Tokens. Hide the Map behind the Shield and secretly place your Worker Tokens on the Map to represent the location of your Workers on the game board. Place your Workers last. Your Turn: Move a Worker Token on the Map as if it were on the game board. Build on the game board, as normal. Any Time: If an opponent attempts an action that would not be legal due to the presence of your secret Workers, their action is cancelled and they lose the rest of their turn. When possible, use their power on their behalf to make their turns legal without informing them. Banned VS: Charon, Circe
40. Moerae — Goddesses of Fate Setup: Take the Map, Shield, and Fate Token. Behind your Shield, secretly select a 2 X 2 square of Fate spaces by placing your Fate Token on the Map. When placing your Workers, place 3 of your color. Win Condition: If an opponent Worker attempts to win by moving into one of your Fate spaces, you win instead. Banned VS: Hecate, Nemesis
41. Nemesis — Goddess of Retribution End of Your Turn: If none of an opponent's Workers neighbor yours, you may force as many of your opponent's Workers as possible to take the spaces you occupy, and vice versa. Banned VS: Aphrodite, Bia, Medusa, Terpsichore, Theseus
42. Siren — Alluring Sea Nymph Setup: Place the Arrow Token beside the board and orient it in any of the 8 directions to indicate the direction of the Siren's Song. Your Turn: You may choose not to take your normal turn. Instead, force one or more opponent Workers one space in the direction of the Siren's Song to unoccupied spaces at any level.
43. Tartarus — God of the Abyss Setup: Take the Map, Shield, and one Abyss Token. Place your Workers first. After all players' Workers are placed, hide the Map behind the Shield and secretly place your Abyss Token on an unoccupied space. This space is the Abyss. Lose Condition: If any player's Worker enters the Abyss, they immediately lose. Workers cannot win by entering the Abyss. Banned VS: Bia, Hecate, Moerae
44. Terpsichore — Muse of Dancing Your Turn: All of your Workers must move, and then all must build. Banned VS: Hypnus, Limus, Tartarus
45. Urania — Muse of Astronomy Your Turn: When your Worker moves or builds, treat opposite edges and corners as if they are adjacent so that every space has 8 neighbors. Banned VS: Aphrodite
Banned Matchups
God Powers featuring "Banned VS." on them indicate banned matchups. We strongly suggest that you do not play a God Power against any of the banned gods listed because the matchup is either not compatible, not interesting, or highly imbalanced.
Golden Fleece Variant
The Golden Fleece variant provides a different 2-player experience where the Ram figure grants the blessing of a single God Power to whomever is touching it. (Golden Fleece Expansion sold separately.)
Setup
After setting up the Island using only steps 1 and 2 from the "Setup" section, perform the following:
- Select a God Power showing the Golden Fleece icon in the top right, and place it beside the board (players do not have individual God Powers).
- The oldest player starts by placing two Workers of their chosen color into any unoccupied spaces on the board. The other player then places their Workers.
- The player who placed Workers first places the Ram figure on any unoccupied space. The other player takes the first turn.
Start of Any Turn
Any player with a Worker neighboring the Ram figure has the God Power for the rest of the turn (including End of Turn powers).
Hero Powers
A Hero Power is an ability that you may perform only once per game. Only you may use this power, and no opponent's power can make you use it.
A Hero Power cannot be used in the Golden Fleece variant. Hero Powers are only supported in a 2-player game. Hero Powers are easily identified by the purple back and Helmet icon in the border.
Setup: Use the "God Power Setup" instructions.
Hero Powers are often weaker than God Powers. For a balanced game, we recommend only playing Hero Powers against other Hero Powers. Hero Powers can also be used to balance games between players of unequal skill, whereby more experienced players are encouraged to select a Hero Power for themselves and a God Power for their opponent.
46. Achilles — Volatile Warrior Your Turn: Once, your Worker builds both before and after moving.
47. Adonis — Devastatingly Handsome End of Your Turn: Once, choose an opponent Worker. If possible, that Worker must be neighboring one of your Workers at the end of their next turn.
48. Atalanta — Swift Huntress Your Move: Once, your Worker moves any number of additional times.
49. Bellerophon — Tamer of Pegasus Your Move: Once, your Worker moves up two levels.
50. Heracles — Doer of Great Deeds End of Your Turn: Once, both your Workers build any number of domes (even zero) at any level.
51. Jason — Leader of the Argonauts Setup: Take one extra Worker of your color. This is kept on your God Power card until needed. Your Turn: Once, instead of your normal turn, place your extra Worker on an unoccupied ground-level perimeter space. This Worker then builds.
52. Medea — Powerful Sorceress End of Your Turn: Once, remove one block from under any number of Workers neighboring your unmoved Worker. You also remove any Tokens on the blocks.
53. Odysseus — Cunning Leader Start of Your Turn: Once, force to unoccupied corner spaces any number of opponent Workers that neighbor your Workers.
54. Polyphemus — Gigantic Cyclops End of Your Turn: Once, your Worker builds up to 2 domes at any level on any unoccupied spaces on the board.
55. Theseus — Slayer of the Minotaur End of Your Turn: Once, if any of your Workers is exactly 2 levels below any neighboring opponent Workers, remove one of those opponent Workers from play.
3 & 4 Players
Santorini is best as a 2-player game. However, we have included rules for 3 and 4 players for those times when you really want to play with more people. When playing with 3 or 4 players, all of the 2-player rules apply, with the following adjustments:
Setup
For 3 and 4-player games, you must play with God Powers. When selecting which God Powers to play with, they must all feature a 3-player icon when playing a 3-player game, or a 4-player icon in a 4-player game.
3 Players
If you lose in a 3-player game, immediately remove your Workers, Tokens, and God Power from the game. If only one player remains, they are the winner.
4 Players (Team Game)
You play in teams of 2 players, who share control of 2 Workers. Teammates must sit across from each other (teams alternate turns). Each player has their own God Power. You cannot use your teammate's power. During setup, your team's first player places the Workers. Your team's second player takes the first turn.
If any player wins, their team wins. If any player loses, their team loses.
Glossary
- Block: A part of a tower and forms a space on the board. When you build, place blocks from largest to smallest so that they stack. For reference, see the "Complete Tower" diagram on the front page.
- Complete Tower: Consists of exactly three blocks and a dome.
- Dome: The top level on a Tower. Domes cannot have anything placed upon them. A dome may only be built on top of the third level, unless otherwise specified by a God or Hero Power.
- Neighboring: Each space has up to eight spaces surrounding it. These are called its neighboring spaces.
- Occupied Space: A space containing a Worker or dome.
- Perimeter Space: One of the 16 spaces along the edge of the board.
- Token: A marker specific to a God or Hero Power. You cannot place a Token onto a space that is occupied or contains another Token. Remove Tokens from the board when blocks are placed upon them.
- Unmoved Worker: A Worker that did not move on your turn.
- Unoccupied Space: A space not containing a Worker or dome.
Credits
Game Design: Gordon Hamilton (aka Dr. Pickle). Artwork: David Forest & Lina Cossette. Product / Graphic design: Gavan Brown. Published by Roxley Games. Copyright 2016 Roxley Games.