# Santorini: Riddle of the Sphinx ## General Info - **Year Published**: 2025 - **BGG Rating**: 8.0 - **BGG Rank**: — - **Players**: 1-4 (Best with: 1) - **Duration**: 20 min - **Weight**: 2.23 / 5 - **Designers**: James Van Niekerk, Paul Saxberg - **Artists**: Damien Mammoliti, David Forest, Lina Cossette - **Publishers**: Roxley, Lavka Games - **Categories**: Adventure, Ancient, City Building, Expansion for Base-game, Mythology - **Mechanics**: Cooperative Game, Grid Coverage, Grid Movement, Three Dimensional Movement, Variable Player Powers ## Verdict Perfect for Santorini fans who want to experience a cooperative campaign with progression. The highlight is the shift from a competitive match to a collective puzzle.Rewarding progression with new godsFresh cooperative twist on competitive gameplayIconic and attractive 3D visualsTactical challenges that encourage teamworkRequires the base game to playSome riddles can be quite punishingRECOMMENDED ## Description If you've already mastered the art of building towers and outsmarting opponents in Santorini, get ready for a total shift in vibe. In 'Riddle of the Sphinx', the competition is set aside, and the group unites in a cooperative journey. Instead of trying to knock your friend off the board, you are now partners in an ongoing adventure, facing challenging scenarios called 'riddles'. The goal here is purely tactical: each riddle proposes specific objectives that the group must achieve to move forward. But it's no walk in the park! The main danger is resource management. If you exhaust all the tower pieces in the game before solving the riddle, the mission fails, and you'll have to start over from scratch. It's the kind of game that requires communication, planning, and great synergy between players to avoid wasting precious moves. Progression is what keeps the excitement high. As you solve the riddles, you advance on an adventure map and, even better, unlock new gods. These gods bring various powers that will be essential for tackling the more complex riddles ahead. It's like a campaign where your team becomes stronger as the story progresses. The game maintains the amazing visual essence of Santorini — with that three-dimensional movement we love — but transforms the experience into a collective strategic puzzle. Do you and your friends have the cunning necessary to decipher all the mysteries and finally solve the riddle of the Sphinx? Get your towers ready, coordinate your strategies, and good luck, because the Sphinx doesn't make it easy for anyone! ## How to Play Goal of the Game In Santorini: Riddle of the Sphinx, players embark on a cooperative adventure to solve 22 unique riddles. The theme revolves around exploring islands, using divine powers, and limited resources to fulfill the specific objectives of each riddle. Victory is achieved by completing the conditions of the current riddle, which may include building towers of certain heights, collecting coins, or using special abilities of the gods. Setup To set up the game: Choose a riddle from the Riddle Book and read the corresponding story page. Set up the board according to the riddle's instructions, including the starting positions of the workers, the King, the Sphinx, and the blessing tokens. Prepare the blessing deck with cards numbered up to your initial blessing score (8). Place the gem tokens on the Sphinx board according to the indicated colors. Each player receives workers in their chosen color and access to the unlocked standard gods or friendly gods. Consult the manual for details regarding this section. Gameplay Flow The game follows a sequence of turns in clockwise order. Each turn has three steps: Perform an Action: Choose between Move and Build, Select a God, or Play the Sphinx Game. Resolve Rewards: Collect coins from completed objectives, discard completed gods, and activate blessing cards. Apply Scenario Effects: Resolve any special effects from the current riddle. Actions and How to Play Move and Build Move: Move a worker to an adjacent unoccupied space. Climb up a maximum of 1 level; descend as many levels as you wish. Build: After moving, build a block or dome in a space adjacent to the worker. Use pieces from the shared supply or from god cards. Select a God Choose a god from the queue and place it in front of you. You can use its power and complete its mission (e.g., remove all pieces from the card). Limit of 2 gods per player. Play the Sphinx Game Roll the die. If the color matches a gem on the board, discard it and gain a reward. If not, destroy a worker. Destroying two workers ends the riddle immediately. Consult the manual for details regarding this section. End of Game and Scoring The game ends when: The players fulfill the riddle objectives (victory). Two workers are destroyed (defeat). After each riddle, record the achieved objectives on the Adventure Map by shading the corresponding circles. Each objective grants rewards for the campaign, such as unlocking new gods or increasing the blessing score. Tips for Winning Use blessings strategically: Blessing cards can be discarded to gain extra powers on your turn. Manage the piece supply: Build carefully so you don't run out of blocks or domes. Prioritize god missions: Completing missions releases rewards that help with the riddle and the campaign. ## FAQ ### Do I need the base Santorini game? Yes! This is an expansion, so you'll need the pieces and board from the base game to play. ### How many people can play? The game supports 1 to 4 players. It's great for both solo challengers and groups. ### Is it hard to learn? If you already know Santorini, it's quite easy. The core mechanics are the same, only the objective (cooperative) and scenario structure change. ### How long does a game take? Each riddle is quick, taking about 20 minutes, but the full campaign takes much longer. ### What happens if we fail a riddle? If you run out of tower pieces before the objective is met, the riddle remains unsolved and you must try again. ### Is there a solo mode? Yes, the expansion allows you to face the riddles alone, testing your own tactical skills. ## Price Comparison ### Best International Offers - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 28.49 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=6364204&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 31.99 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=6304912&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 35.69 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=6723407&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 37.12 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=6359796&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 39.40 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=6782085&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 39.99 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=6338829&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 39.99 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=6369907&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 39.99 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=6590030&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 39.99 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=6299907&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 39.99 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=6394896&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - See all on BoardGamePrices: https://boardgameprices.com/item/show/44744/santorini-riddle-of-the-sphinx?utm_source=boardgamesbot.com