Cathedral (1979)

Cathedral

Cathedral is a two-player abstract strategy board game in which two factions (“dark” and “light”) vie for territorial supremacy within the bounds of a medieval city. The game was invented between 1962 and 1979 by Robert Moore, a pilot in the Royal New Zealand Air Force, who was inspired by Christchurch Cathedral and its environs in Christchurch, New Zealand. From the air, Moore was fascinated by the way the cathedral and neighboring buildings intricately fit together, like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. He conceived of a game involving players trying to build interlocking buildings around a cathedral.

Why is Cathedral Popular?

Cathedral is a popular game because of its simple rules, quick gameplay, and strategic depth. It is often compared to chess, scrabble, and monopoly. The game is significant because it challenges players to think spatially and strategically, and it has been enjoyed by players of all ages for over 40 years.

Game Components of Cathedral

Wooden board divided into a 10×10 grid29 small abstract building piecesOne building piece painted grey to represent the Cathedral14 dark building pieces14 light building pieces

Game Setup of Cathedral

The board is enclosed by turreted walls and represents a medieval city. Players alternate placing their buildings on the board, with the exception of the Cathedral, which is placed in the center of the board by the player with the dark pieces. The player with the light pieces goes first.

Gameplay Mechanics of Cathedral

Players take turns placing their buildings on the board, with the goal of surrounding the opponent’s buildings and capturing territory. Buildings can be placed adjacent to each other, but not diagonally. The Cathedral cannot be surrounded on all four sides. Players can move their buildings once they are placed on the board, but they cannot move the Cathedral. The game ends when one player cannot place any more buildings on the board. The player with the most territory at the end of the game wins.

Game Objective of Cathedral

The objective of Cathedral is to capture territory by surrounding the opponent’s buildings with your own.

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