Description

Compete for knowledge, favor and glory as one of the greatest artists the world has ever known! Renaissance Rivals is a 2-4 player card-driven game that can be played in about an hour, combining streamlined tableau and deck building with an innovative system of tactical movement. Players take on the role of artists of the Italian Renaissance as they move around a "map" of Italy (represented by a 4 x 4 grid of cards), using the cards drawn from their decks to obtain Commissions and complete eight unique Masterpieces. On a typical turn, you will draw four cards from your deck to generate Influence points (which allow you to acquire Commission cards) and Advancement points (required to complete your artist’s Masterpieces). Every time you acquire a Commission, you must decide whether to add the card to your deck to generate more resources in future turns, or add it to your Palette to unlock the Skills that will enable you to obtain more valuable Commissions and complete more prestigious Masterpieces. Different kinds of Commissions trigger movement in different directions, so you need to be strategic about the order in which you acquire them. Furthermore, each Masterpiece can only be executed in its designated city (or "map" row), so completing all eight will require strategy and foresight!

The game ends when any player completes all her Masterpieces, or as soon as a player obtains the most highly prized commission, the rebuilding of the Basilica of St. Peter’s. Victory Points are scored for Commissions remaining in each player's deck and for each completed Masterpiece, and the player with the highest total is the winner.

—description from the designer