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How to play Santorini (2026): Santorini is a strategy game about building on a Greek island. Each turn you move one of your two workers, then build next to it. Climb onto a third-level tower and you win on the spot. The basic rules take two minutes to learn, and God Power cards add endless variety once you are ready. This guide covers the setup, the move-and-build turn, winning and losing, three- and four-player games, and God Powers, using the official Roxley rulebook.
The game you need: Santorini (2nd Edition, Roxley)
The second edition includes the cliff pedestal and island board, building blocks and domes, workers for each player and a deck of God Power cards. It plays two to four.
Price band: $30+ (about $50) · Check today’s price on Amazon
Santorini setup
- Assemble the cliff pedestal and place the island board on top. The board is a five-by-five grid.
- Sort the building pieces: ground level blocks, middle level blocks, top level blocks and domes.
- Each player takes two workers of one color.
- The youngest player goes first. Starting with them, each player places both workers on any empty spaces.
Your turn: move, then build
Move one worker
Choose one of your workers and move it one space in any of the eight directions. You cannot move onto a space with another worker or a dome. You may move up at most one level, but you may move down any number of levels.
Build next to that worker
After moving, the same worker must build one block on any unoccupied space next to it, in any of the eight directions. Build in order: ground level, then middle level, then top level. A dome can only go on top of a third level, and once a space is domed, nobody can move there again. That space is called a complete tower.
Winning and losing in Santorini
- Win: if one of your workers moves up onto the top of a third level, you win immediately.
- Forced up does not count: you must move up onto the third level yourself on your turn.
- Lose: if you cannot move and then build on your turn, you lose.
Building a dome on a third-level tower is the main way to block a rival who is about to climb it.
Three- and four-player games
Santorini shines with two, but the rulebook supports more. With three players, everyone plays with their own workers and God Powers are used. With four, players form two teams and teammates share the same workers, alternating turns. Some God Powers are marked as unsuitable for three or four players, so set those aside.
A sample opening for new players
Place your workers near the center, where they have the most room to move and build. On your first turns, build ground and middle levels next to your own workers, not next to your opponent's. Once a worker stands on a middle level, look for a nearby second-level space you can climb next turn. If your opponent does the same, be ready to cap their target tower with a top level they cannot reach, or with a dome once it is three levels high. Most beginner games are decided by one missed threat, so check the whole board before every build.
Adding God Powers
Once you know the basic game, each player takes a God Power card. Each god bends one rule. Apollo can swap places with an opposing worker. Artemis can move twice. Atlas can build a dome at any level. Demeter can build twice. Every power changes how you read the board, so even familiar opponents feel new. The second edition box lists more than 30 god and hero powers.
Santorini strategy tips
- Stay high. Workers on higher levels have more winning options. Climb when you can.
- Keep both workers useful. A worker stuck in a corner is half your army.
- Watch every second-level worker. Any worker on a second level next to a third level is one move from winning.
- Dome wisely. Domes block, but they also shrink the board for both of you.
- Do not overbuild for your rival. Every third level you build is a potential win for whoever reaches it first.
Where Santorini fits on your shelf
Santorini is a modern abstract game in the tradition of chess, so if you enjoy it, try our chess for beginners guide or the ancient Mancala. Our board games vs card games piece helps if you are building a game shelf for the first time.
Santorini rules questions
How do you win at Santorini?
Move one of your workers up onto a third-level building on your turn.
Can you move up two levels in Santorini?
No. You can move up only one level at a time, but you can move down as far as you like.
How many players can play Santorini?
Two to four. With four, the game is played in two teams.
