Review: Santorini

Introduction & Overview

Santorini is a very accessible strategy game (simple enough for elementary school kids to play). Yet, it possesses great depth that will satisfy even the most demanding players. Santorini is a game for everyone!

This is the premise of Santorini, designed by Dr. Gordon Hamilton (King’s Kilt, 12 Days of Christmas). The original game was published in 2004. Roxley Games launched a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter to publish a new, improved, and expanded edition, which was released in 2017. The artwork is by Lina Cossette and David Forest (Steampunk Rally, Super Motherload, Unfair).

The game has been published in Spain by Last Level (the game is completely language-independent). It accommodates 2 to 3 players, with an approximate playing time of 20 minutes and a recommended age of 8 and up. The MSRP is €50. A review copy from Roxley Games’ Kickstarter edition was used for this review.

Important: if you already know the game and/or are only interested in my opinion about it, you can go directly to the Opinion section. The Content and Mechanics sections are especially intended for those who do not know the game and prefer to get a general idea of how it works.

Go to Personal Opinion

Components

Inside a two-piece cardboard box (lid and bottom), measuring 29.9 × 29.9 × 6.4 cm (a square box with dimensions very similar to Catan or Ticket to Ride):

• 62 Tower Pieces (plastic):
  • 22 Level 1 Blocks
  • 18 Level 2 Blocks
  • 14 Level 3 Blocks
• 18 Domes
• 6 Workers/Pawns (plastic)
• Ocean Board (cardboard)
• Island Board (cardboard)
• Cliff Pedestal (plastic)
• 30 God Cards (70 × 120 mm)
• Rulebook

How to Play

Santorini is an abstract game in which players race to be the first to reach the third level with either of their two workers. A turn consists of moving a worker—bearing in mind that you can only climb at most one level higher than your current level—and then building on an adjacent space. In addition, players possess unique abilities granted by the gods.

Key Concepts

Let’s start with the Board. It represents the famous Greek island through an eye-catching setup consisting of an ocean base board, a cliff-shaped pedestal, and an island board placed on top of the pedestal featuring a 5×5 grid.

The Workers are placed on the spaces of this board. Each player controls 2 workers that can be moved in any of the 8 directions (orthogonal and diagonal) without leaving the grid. There are two restrictions on worker movement: they cannot enter an occupied space, and they cannot move up more than one level in a single step. The goal is to reach the third level with one of your workers.

Next up are the Buildings. As players take turns, they will construct the city. There are 4 types of pieces available: Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3 blocks, plus domes. The first three allow workers to climb higher, while domes “cap” buildings, preventing any worker from entering the space. Naturally, levels must be built in sequential order, as they are molded to interlock specifically.

Finally, we have the Characters / Gods. These are represented by large cards featuring colorful illustrations and icons that detail a special ability that only the player holding the card can use during the game.

That is enough to get started.

Preparación de la Partida

1. Assemble the board by setting up the ocean base, the cliff pedestal, and the island board.
2. Create a general supply with the various building pieces and domes.
3. Each player chooses a color and takes the two matching workers.
4. Shuffle the god cards and deal one to each player, placing it face up in front of them and explaining its power to everyone.
5. Finally, choose a starting player. They place their two workers on any unoccupied spaces, and then, going clockwise, each other player places their two workers.

We are ready to begin!

Game Flow

A game of Santorini lasts an indeterminate number of turns until one of the end-game conditions is met.

A player’s turn consists of two steps that must be resolved in order:

1. Move a Worker: The player must move one of their two workers to one of the 8 adjacent spaces (orthogonally or diagonally). A few rules apply:
   • You cannot move into a space occupied by another worker.
   • You cannot move up more than one level.
   • You cannot move into a space topped by a dome.
2. Build: The player places a building piece on one of the 8 adjacent spaces (orthogonally or diagonally) to the worker that just moved. A few rules apply:
   • You cannot build on a space occupied by a worker.
   • Building order must be strictly followed (Level 1, Level 2, Level 3, and Dome).

After completing both steps, play passes to the player on the left.

Game End

The game can end in one of three ways:

• A player successfully moves one of their workers onto a third level, winning immediately.
• A player cannot perform a valid move with either worker on their turn, losing the game and making the opponent the winner.
• A player fulfills the specific win condition of their God Card (if applicable).

Personal Opinion

Today it is time to talk about another of those games that, taking an existing concept, returns to the market through a crowdfunding campaign boasting a glorious production. The campaign was a massive success, and the game has climbed the BGG rankings meteorically (it is already in the overall Top 100 and near the very top of both the Abstract and Family rankings). Let’s see what is behind this revitalization of an already existing game.

Back in 2004, Dr. Gordon Hamilton designed an abstract that, in some ways, was reminiscent of the great Torres (tocho-review here) by the Double K (Wolfgang Kramer and Michael Kiesling). The 2000 Spiel des Jahres winner is a tactical abstract game where players move pawns across a grid board, placing tower blocks on adjacent spaces to climb higher. At the end of each game phase, the board state was scored, granting victory points based on the height reached by the pawns and the footprint of the towers they stood on.

Well, the core premise of Santorini is essentially the same: a couple of pawns (two, in this case) moving around a grid while erecting small towers—though here they only reach a maximum height of three levels. Similarly, the goal is to climb these structures, but unlike Kramer and Kiesling’s classic, victory is achieved outright the moment you step onto a third level.

Naturally, there are many more differences. For example, Torres relies on an action point allowance system as its core mechanism, whereas Santorini features highly structured turns (move worker, then build). Still, the fundamental concept of spatial construction and elevation is shared by both designs.

Of course, by doing away with point accumulation and victory tracks, the dynamic changes radically. We are no longer managing an engine to amass VP over time, but racing to reach the summit before our opponents. It turns into an obstacle course where the hurdles are put in place by your fellow players.

Setting Torres aside, let’s focus on the Greek island. I must admit I love the concept. It is elegant, with steady progression that guarantees games wrap up within a very reasonable number of turns (barring players who succumb to analysis paralysis).

Decision-making might seem light on paper, but once you start maneuvering pawns and stacking building blocks, you quickly realize that reaching a third level is no trivial feat.

First of all, because of the turn structure: you must always move first and build second, adjacent to the worker that just moved. Naturally, you must tread carefully so you don’t build a stepping stone that an opponent can capitalize on right on their next turn.

This is where having two workers becomes crucial. You will act with one while using the other as a blockade to ensure your recent construction isn’t seized before your next turn. As a result, players tend to keep their workers relatively close together. Splitting them up usually leads to slower development and leaves you vulnerable to enemy advances.

However, if each player focuses solely on their own path, keeping their workers close together to stay safe, the starting player naturally holds tempo and initiative. If everyone does their own thing without interfering, player one will inevitably win within a few turns. Therefore, other players are forced to contest the initiative if they want any shot at winning.

This change in design fixes one of the typical pitfalls of Torres (and tactical development games in general): scalability. By turning into a pure race, the game shines at 2 players (the count it was originally designed for), though this edition extends it to 3. Personally, I much prefer the 2-player duel with its relentless back-and-forth. At 3 players, the classic positional pitfall emerges: an inexperienced player can easily create unintentional kingmaking, handing the win to the next player in turn order.

Had the design stopped here, it would have been nothing more than a luxury edition of an existing abstract. However, the designers took it a step further by introducing the god cards, granting players variable player powers for the entire match. These abilities generally fall into three categories: active perks on your turn, alternate win conditions, or restrictions imposed on opponents. This addition brings both pros and cons in equal measure.

On the plus side, it massively boosts replayability—especially compared to traditional abstracts—since every matchup feels distinct. On the downside, given how powerful some abilities are, certain matchups end up severely unbalanced; no matter how well the disadvantaged player plays, defeat is often almost unavoidable. This is arguably the biggest flaw in the game’s design. Fortunately, matches rarely take more than 15 minutes. When one of these lopsided pairings occurs, you simply treat it as an uphill challenge (if you are on the receiving end) and immediately reset for another round. Because the game is addictive—a brisk game of cat and mouse. I often view it as a quick Pokémon match or a Street Fighter bout: with such a large roster, some ability matchups will inevitably heavily favor one side.

All in all, Santorini is a delightful design to get to the table, and it is almost impossible to play just one game, mainly because they are so fast that you are immediately left wanting more. It is accessible for the whole family, yet satisfies seasoned players looking to analyze tactical patterns and positional movement. And with the gods, you get the asymmetric spice (which can always be left in the box for a pure, chess-like experience).

Let’s talk about the production, which is undoubtedly the game’s biggest selling point. We are likely looking at the most overproduced abstract game to date. The quality and volume of the components are on a whole different level, which is naturally reflected in its price tag—the main hurdle when deciding to buy it, considering its weight and complexity. Of course, those of us who backed the Kickstarter campaign got great value, but paying full retail for the base game alone requires careful consideration. But I digress. The plastic used feels great to the touch and looks durable enough to withstand repeated plays. There are no burrs, and everything stacks seamlessly. The board presentation is also outstanding: rather than a simple flat cardboard tile, it includes a plastic cliff pedestal that elevates the entire play area. The table presence once set up is stunning. The rulebook is clearly written, well illustrated with examples, and leaves no ambiguity regarding core mechanisms. The god powers might occasionally require an extra example or two for edge cases, but that is a minor gripe.

And if the physical components are top-tier, the artwork is even more impressive. I was sold the moment I saw the box cover. In terms of aesthetic charm, it has no rival—this is easily the most beautiful abstract game on the market. The cover and god illustrations are gorgeous, and simply leafing through the deck feels worth the investment. Naturally, the theme is completely pasted on, but the artists did a stellar job bringing it to life, especially with the character cards, where each god’s primary trait is captured vividly.

Before wrapping up, it is worth mentioning that the Kickstarter campaign unlocked an expansion that expands the player count to 4, includes nearly as many new characters as the base game, and introduces a very interesting variant that addresses balance issues without ditching character powers. It features a golden fleece miniature placed on the board; any worker starting adjacent to it (in any of the 8 surrounding spaces) can use a single shared god power. Backers received this expansion included with their pledge, but retail buyers will need to purchase it separately, adding further to the total cost.

And let’s wrap this up. Santorini is an elegant abstract with remarkably straightforward gameplay. Every turn comes down to moving a worker and building a level on an adjacent space in a race to claim the third tier. This clean premise sparks an intense dynamic of pursuit and initiative control, transforming the board into a continuous game of cat and mouse where every step demands blocking opponent paths without handing them free climbing opportunities. The asymmetry of the god cards injects a fresh, highly engaging tactical twist, even if certain matchups are skewed and can tilt the odds from the start. Nevertheless, its lightning-fast pace, zero rules friction, and persistent positional tension make every duel an instant, deeply satisfying rematch generator. For all these reasons, I give it a…