Rio Grande Games 75 manual The board and the figures, Playing the game, The game year

The board and the figures

The board has a map showing the 6 central districts of Venice: Cannaregio, Castello, Dorsoduro, San Marco, San Polo and Santa Croce. Red-brown lines and the Grand Canal mark the borders between these districts. Each district has building spaces for 5 palaces.

The Quarantia is located in the Doge's palace in the upper part of the board. During the middle ages, the Quarantia was a meeting place for politicians and advisors in Venice. The 6 districts and the Quarantia are the 7 playing areas. Each has a symbol for easy identification.

The symbols on the tops of the 9 advisors match the symbols for the 6 districts (1 each) and the Quarantia (3). The matching area is the home area for the advisor.

For example, the Castello district is the home area for the advisor with the shell symbol.

Playing the game

The game is played over several game years. In each game year, each district elects an advisor and the Quarantia elects 3. Each game year has two phases.

In the first phase, the players place their ballot markers face down on the areas of their choice.

In the second phase, each area holds elections. The players turn over their ballot markers. The two players with the most votes in a district may build houses there. When a player has built the

required number of houses in a district, he may convert the houses to a palace.

The game ends after the year in which a player has:

-at least 1 palace in each district or

-a total of 7 palaces in 5 districts or

-a total of 8 palaces in 4 districts.

The player who accomplishes this is the new Doge and the winner of the game.

The game year

first phase: placing ballot markers

During this phase, players place ballot markers in the areas where they want votes. Each player places ballot markers:

-4 times in a 3 player game and

-3 times in a 4 player game.

After the 3 or 4 rounds of placing ballot markers, the first phase is complete.

choosing cards & ballot markers

Players choose the areas, one at a time, where they want votes and then the number of votes they want in those areas. They choose the areas by selecting from their player cards and then 1-4 ballot markers to place in each area. Each player gets votes in an area based on the numbers shown on their ballot markers in the area.

First, each player selects the area where they want votes by choosing one of his player cards (each has one of the areas on it) and placing it face down in his supply area.

Next, he places 1-4 ballot markers from his supply face down on the card he just played. He may not take ballot markers that he has already placed on the board this game year.

placing ballot markers

When all players have chosen their cards and placed their ballot markers on their cards, they turn the cards over simultaneously,

moving the ballot markers off the cards without revealing the ballot markers. Note: the ballot markers remain face down until phase two!

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