Overview

Orleans is a bag-building strategy game set in medieval France during the reign of King Louis XIV. Players draw Follower tiles from their personal bags and assign them to action spaces on their player boards to perform actions such as traveling, trading, building, and developing technologies. The game plays over 18 rounds, with each round triggered by an Hour Glass event tile. Players score through goods, coins, trading stations, citizens, and development.

Components

• 1 large game board (map of France with roads and waterways)
• 1 Beneficial Deeds board
• 4 Player boards
• Follower tiles (Farmers, Boatmen, Craftsmen, Traders, Knights, Scholars, Monks – in player colors and neutral)
• Goods tiles
• Hour Glass tiles (event tiles)
• Technology tiles
• Place tiles (numbered I-III)
• Citizen tiles
• Trading Stations (10 per player)
• Merchant tokens
• Coins
• 7 markers per player (wooden cubes)
• Start Player token

Setup

1. Place game board and Beneficial Deeds board.
2. Each player takes: 1 Player board, 1 Merchant Token (placed in Orleans), 10 Trading Stations, 1 bag, 5 coins, 7 markers, and 1 set of 4 starting Followers (Farmer, Boatman, Craftsman, Trader).
3. Place markers on the first space of each Character Track and the Development Track.
4. Sort neutral Character tiles by profession on the game board.
5. Place 13 Citizen tiles on marked spaces.
6. Shuffle Hour Glass tiles, place face down with Pilgrimage tile on top.
7. Place Goods tiles face up on road/waterway spaces (adjusted for player count).
8. Sort remaining Goods tiles on the Goods Market.
9. Youngest player is Start Player.

Player count adjustments: Remove specified neutral tiles and goods for 2-3 players.

Turn Structure

Each round follows 7 phases:

Phase 1: Hour Glass

Reveal the top Hour Glass tile. Apply its event for this round.

Phase 2: Census

The player(s) with the most Farmers gain a coin from the supply; the player(s) with the fewest lose a coin.

Phase 3: Followers

Each player simultaneously draws Followers from their bag (number depends on Knight track advancement, starting at 4).

Phase 4: Planning

Simultaneously, players place drawn Followers on action spaces on their Player boards.

Phase 5: Actions

Starting with the Start Player, each player executes their planned actions (in any order). After executing, assigned Followers return to the bag.

Phase 6: Event

Execute the current Hour Glass event.

Phase 7: Start Player

Pass the Start Player token clockwise.

Actions

Action	Required Followers	Effect
Farmhouse	Farmer + Boatman	Advance Farmer track; gain a new Farmer tile
Village	Farmer + Craftsman	Advance Craftsman track; gain a new Craftsman tile
University	Farmer + Trader	Advance Scholar track; gain a new Scholar tile
Castle	Farmer + Knight	Advance Knight track; gain a new Knight tile
Monastery	Farmer + Scholar	Advance Monk track; gain a new Monk tile
Shipping	Boatman + Craftsman	Move Merchant along waterways
Wagon	Craftsman + Trader	Move Merchant along roads
Guildhall	Craftsman + Knight	Gain a Technology tile
Scriptorium	Knight + Scholar	Build a Place tile
Town Hall	Various	Advance Development track; place Followers on Beneficial Deeds

Scoring / Victory Conditions

Game ends after round 18. Final scoring:

Source	Points
Coins	1 VP each
Goods tiles	Value printed on tile
Trading Stations placed	Points from Development track
Citizens collected	Points per citizen
Development track	Multiplier for trading stations

Highest total VP wins.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• Beneficial Deeds board: Players can send Followers here permanently (they leave the bag) to claim Citizen tiles worth VP.
• Technology tiles: Provide permanent advantages (reduce Follower requirements, gain bonuses).
• Goods Market: Goods on the map are collected when your Merchant passes through.
• Trading Stations: Placed in cities when your Merchant visits; each scores based on Development track level.
• Drawing more Followers (Knight track): each advancement grants +1 draw.
• Followers placed on Beneficial Deeds are gone permanently but earn Citizens.
• Monks are wild and can substitute for any Follower type.

Player Reference

Round phases: Hour Glass → Census → Draw Followers → Plan → Execute → Event → Pass Start

Bag building: New Followers gained from action spaces enter your bag

Movement: Shipping (waterways) and Wagon (roads) move your Merchant

Beneficial Deeds: Permanently remove Followers from bag for Citizen tiles

Game length: 18 rounds