Overview

In Bruges, players are 15th-century merchants in the Flemish city of Bruges, competing for power and influence. Each round, players draw cards and roll dice that determine threats and reputation costs. Players then play 4 cards per round, each enabling one of 6 possible actions: taking workers, earning money, removing threats, building canals, building houses, or recruiting influential persons. The game ends when the extra draw pile enters play, and the player with the most victory points wins.

Components

• 1 game board (with reputation track, canal section, scoring track, guard houses, town hall)
• 165 cards (in 5 colors: blue, brown, red, purple, yellow)
• 50 workers (10 in each of 5 colors)
• 20 one-guilder pieces, 24 three-guilder pieces
• 45 Threat markers (in 5 colors)
• 40 Canal tokens
• 4 large Player emblems, 4 small Player emblems
• 8 player pawns (2 per player)
• 12 Majority markers (3 per player)
• 6 Statue tokens (values 2-7)
• 4 fifty/100 points tokens
• 9 Overview cards
• 1 Start player banner
• 5 dice (in 5 colors matching card colors)

Setup

1. Place game board centrally. Stack Statue tokens sequentially (2 on bottom, 7 on top).
2. Cards: Shuffle all 165 cards, divide into 5 roughly equal stacks. Take 1 stack per player, shuffle together, then split into 2 draw piles. Remaining stacks form the extra draw pile.
3. Place workers, guilders, threat markers, and canal tokens in general supply.
4. Each player takes: large seal, small seal (on guard house), 2 pawns (one on space 5 of scoring track, one on town hall), 3 Majority markers (gray side up), 1 worker of each color, 5 guilders, 2 Overview cards.
5. First player: most recent Belgian chocolate eater. Gets Start player banner and 5 dice.

Turn Structure

Each round has 4 phases:

Phase 1: Draw Cards

Starting with the start player, each player draws cards (one at a time from either draw pile) until they have 5 cards in hand. Only look at cards once your hand is full.

Extra draw pile trigger: When one draw pile empties, immediately replace it with the extra draw pile. The round in which this happens is the final round.

Phase 2: Roll Dice

The start player rolls all 5 dice and places them on the board.

Step 1 — Distribute Threats: For each die showing 5 or 6, every player receives 1 Threat marker of that die’s color. A player’s 3rd Threat marker of a single color triggers a penalty.

Step 2 — Advance Reputation: The cost to advance 1 step on the reputation track equals the sum of all dice showing 1 or 2. Each player may pay this cost (in guilders) to advance 1 step. Dice showing 3 or 4 have no effect this phase.

Phase 3: Play Cards (4 times each)

Starting with the start player, each player plays 1 card and performs 1 of 6 actions. This continues clockwise until every player has played 4 cards (1 card remains in hand).

Phase 4: Check Majorities

Check the 3 majority categories (people, canals, reputation). For each, the leading player flips their Majority marker to the colored side. Ties: no one leads. Then pass Start player banner clockwise.

Actions

Any card can be used for any of the 6 actions. The color of the played card determines specifics for some actions.

I. Take 2 Workers

Play 1 card. Take 2 workers of the played card’s color from supply.

II. Take Guilders

Play 1 card. Take guilders from the bank equal to the value shown on the matching-color die (1-6 guilders).

III. Discard 1 Threat Marker

Play 1 card. Discard 1 Threat marker of the played card’s color. Gain 1 guilder each time you discard a threat.

IV. Build 1 Canal Token

Play 1 card. Pay guilders equal to the matching-color die value (1-6). Place 1 canal token in the next empty canal space. Advance your scoring pawn according to the VP shown on that canal space.

V. Build 1 House

Play 1 card. Pay 1 worker of the played card’s color. Place the card face-down in your play area as a house of that color.

VI. Recruit 1 Person

Play 1 card. Pay guilders equal to the person’s recruitment cost (0-12). The person card is placed face-up in a house of matching color (you must have an empty house). Each person has a unique ability (immediate, ongoing, activated, or end-game).

Scoring / Victory Conditions

Threat Penalties (3rd marker of a color)

| Color | Penalty | |——-|———| | Blue | Lose 3 VP | | Brown | Discard 1 canal token from end of your canal | | Red | Discard 1 person of your choice | | Purple | Lose 3 guilders | | Yellow | Discard 1 worker of your choice |

End-Game Scoring

1. Majority bonuses (for each of the 3 categories you lead): VP per the number shown on the Majority marker
2. Reputation track: VP based on your position (0-12 VP)
3. Statues: During the game, players can claim Statue tokens for meeting conditions
4. Person end-game bonuses: Various VP from person card abilities
5. Remaining resources: No VP for leftover guilders, workers, or cards

Highest VP total wins. Tiebreaker: most guilders remaining.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• Players can make change at any time (3-guilder piece = 3 single guilders).
• The 5th unplayed card each round stays in hand but may not be used for actions.
• Multiple actions of the same type can be performed in a single round.
• Persons must be placed in a matching-color house. You cannot recruit without an available house.
• Person types: Immediate (activates on recruitment), Ongoing (always active), Activated (use once per round), End-game (scores at game end).
• Guard houses: each has a round box for player seals. Some person abilities interact with guard house positions.

Player Reference

Round structure: Draw to 5 cards → Roll dice (threats + reputation) → Play 4 cards → Check majorities

6 Actions: | # | Action | Cost | Effect | |—|——–|——|——–| | I | Take workers | Card | 2 workers of card color | | II | Take guilders | Card | Guilders = matching die value | | III | Remove threat | Card | Discard 1 matching-color threat, gain 1 guilder | | IV | Build canal | Card + guilders (die value) | Place canal token, score VP | | V | Build house | Card + 1 matching worker | Place card as house | | VI | Recruit person | Card + guilders (person cost) | Place person in matching house |

Dice values:

• 1-2: Determine reputation advance cost
• 3-4: No effect in Phase 2
• 5-6: Trigger threat markers
• 1-6: Determine guilder income (Action II) and canal cost (Action IV)