A "San Marco" board game box with a winged lion illustration, placed on a wooden surface.
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San Marco (2001)

ByMichail

San Marco

San Marco is a board game designed by Alan R. Moon and Aaron Weissblum and published by Ravensburger in 2001. The game is set in Venice, and the title comes from the name of one of the city’s districts. The game is a majority-based area control game with a unique and empowering competitive method used for action selection.

Why is San Marco Popular?

San Marco is a popular game because of its innovative system in its card division. The game has won the Meeples’ Choice Award in 2001.

Game Components of San Marco

1 game boardWood bits100 aristocrats1 doge9 wooden discs1 die12 bridgesCards62 action cards28 limit cards1 rule book

Game Setup of San Marco

Players begin with some units already on the board.

Gameplay Mechanics of San Marco

The game uses area control and card drafting as game mechanics. The game is divided into passages, which are then broken down into turns. Players can place and move both aristocrats and bridges, and score points for areas in which they have influence. The game uses a card distribution system called “I split, you choose”.

Game Objective of San Marco

Players are attempting to score the most points by building up influence in the districts of Venice via their aristocrats.

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Michail, a seasoned tabletop enthusiast, dives headfirst into worlds of fantasy and strategy. Whether commanding a party of adventurers through perilous dungeons or engaging in tactical showdowns on the board, Michail is the maestro of the tabletop realm. Michail's gaming table is a realm where the clatter of dice and the shuffle of cards create a symphony of strategic chaos.

Hobby: Miniature painting guru, turning pewter into masterpieces
Preferred Game: Dungeons & Dragons, but always up for a board game brawl