Welcome to the World of Cyclades!

Are you ready to embark on a mesmerizing journey in the mythical realm of Cyclades? In this exhilarating board game, we will explore the ancient Greek islands and build magnificent cities in a race to conquer and control the mighty gods themselves!

In Cyclades, each player takes on the role of a powerful city-state, vying for dominance and divine favor. But beware, my friend, for victory is not easily won! The gods are fickle and demand your devotion. You must prove your worth by building cities, commanding armies, and erecting fleets that can withstand the formidable challenges and the whims of the divine pantheon!

To achieve greatness in Cyclades, you must carefully manage your resources and make shrewd strategic choices. There are many paths to victory, and it is up to you to discover them. Will you focus on military might, conquering your rivals through force and cunning? Or will you opt for a peaceful approach, using diplomacy and trade to gain the upper hand?

As you seek glory and invoke the gods, you will need to gather resources such as gold, marble, and priests. These precious commodities will fuel your conquests, fortify your cities, and allow you to call upon the powers of the gods themselves.

But be prepared, my friend, for the gods are a capricious lot. They will test your resolve and demand sacrifices. Displease them, and they may unleash terrible wrath upon your proud city-state. However, if you appease them, they will reward you with formidable creatures and legendary heroes to aid you in your quest for supremacy!

Remember, it is not enough to amass wealth and power alone. Victory in Cyclades requires a delicate balance of military prowess, economic skill, and divine favor. You must be bold, cunning, and adaptable if you wish to emerge triumphant!

The world of Cyclades awaits you, my friend. The gods beckon and your destiny awaits. Are you ready to embark on this epic journey, where myth and legend come alive? Step forward and claim your place among the immortals!

The board game I’m talking about is known as “Cyclades.” It’s important to understand the different components that make up this exciting game.

First, we have the 3-part game board, which serves as the stage for all the action. This board is split into different regions, each with its own unique features and resources.

Next, we have 2 special dice. These dice are used to determine various outcomes during the game, such as bidding for the favor of the gods or moving your troops.

Now let’s talk about the currency in the game: gold pieces, or GP for short. Each player starts with 5 GP, which they can use to purchase buildings and units.

Speaking of buildings and units, there are 40 buildings and 10 Metropolises in Cyclades. These structures are essential for expanding your influence and strengthening your position on the board.

In addition to buildings, the game includes 5 figurines representing mythological creatures: the Kraken, the Minotaur, the Medusa, Polyphemus, and Chiron. These creatures can be used strategically to aid you in your quest for supremacy.

Now, let’s move on to the cards in the game. There are 18 Mythological Creature cards, 16 Philosopher cards, and 16 Priest cards. These cards provide various bonuses and abilities that can greatly impact the gameplay.

Lastly, we have the 4 large God tiles. These tiles represent the gods of Cyclades and offer powerful abilities to the players who control them.

The Objective

The goal of the game is to demonstrate your parent city’s supremacy by being the first player to have 2 Metropolises at the end of a cycle. Your strategic decisions and resource management will determine if you can achieve this objective.

Setting Up

Before the game begins, each player selects a color and takes the corresponding items, which they place in front of their screen for everyone to see. Additionally, each player starts with 5 GP, which they keep hidden behind their screen. This sets the stage for the intense competition that is about to unfold.

Welcome to the game of Mythical Empire! Let’s get started on setting up the game board. First, we need to place the game boards, Troops, and Fleets according to the number of players. You can find the numbers corresponding to the number of players at the bottom of each board on pages 7 and 8. Make sure to follow the illustrations for guidance.

Now, let’s shuffle the Mythological Creature cards and place them face down in a pile in the proper place. Next to the discard pile, place the 5 figurines that come with the game.

On the designated spot on the board, place the Philosopher cards and the Priest cards. These cards have their own place reserved just for them.

Each player should take only one of their offering tokens. These tokens will be shuffled and randomly placed on the first spaces of the game turn. It’s worth noting that the second offering token is only used for two-player games.

Lastly, leave the 4 God tiles next to the game board. These tiles will come into play later on.

When playing the game, there are different components that you will need to keep track of. These include the building tiles, the Metropolis tiles, the two special dice, the prosperity markers, and the GP (which stands for “game points”) that have not been distributed yet. Make sure to set these aside when they are not being used in the game.

How to Play

The game is played in a series of cycles. Here’s what you’ll do during each cycle:

• First, you’ll collect your revenue in GP. This is determined by the production of your islands and any seafaring commerce you have.
• Next, you’ll make offerings to the Gods through an auction. Sometimes, you may need to spend a lot of GP in order to win the favor of a specific God.
• Finally, depending on which God’s favor you obtained, you’ll perform actions that are specific to that God. Each God has a “free” action that you can take, but there are also other actions that require you to spend more of your GP.

My goal is to have two Metropolises by the end of the game. I can achieve this by building them or taking them over from other players. The game comes to an end when someone manages to achieve this objective. If more than one player reaches this goal in the same round, then the player with the most GP (Game Points) becomes the winner.

How the Game Works

1. Mythological Creatures

Hey there! So, here’s the deal with the Mythological Creatures in Cyclades. You see, during each cycle, these creatures roam around the isles, adding a touch of excitement to the game. Now, at the start of every cycle, there are a few things you need to do to update the Mythological Creature track. Let me walk you through it:

• First things first, if there’s a creature on the “2 GP” space and it wasn’t used in the previous round, we gotta discard it. Out with the old, you know?
• Next, we need to move all the other creature cards to the right to fill in any empty spaces on the track. We don’t want any gaps!
• And finally, we wrap things up by drawing new cards to fill in the remaining spaces. Gotta keep things fresh!

Oh, one more thing! If the draw pile happens to be empty, no worries. Just shuffle up the discarded cards and create a brand new draw pile. Easy peasy!

Now, there’s a special case to consider at the beginning of the game. Here’s what you need to do:

In the beginning, I want you to imagine a game. It’s called “Mythological Creatures” and it’s a game about, well, mythological creatures! As you play this game, you’ll get to encounter and learn about all kinds of fascinating creatures from mythology.

Let me explain how the game works. There are different cycles in the game, and during the very first cycle, you’ll draw the first Mythological Creature and place it face-up on the left hand space on the track. This space is called 4 GP.

In the second cycle, if the Creature from the first cycle hasn’t been used, you’ll move it one square to the right. Then, you’ll put the first Creature from the draw pile face-up on the space that was just freed. If the first Creature was used in the previous cycle, you’ll place the two first Creatures from the draw pile on the 4 GP and 3 GP spaces.

Now, let’s move on to the next part of the game, which involves the Gods. Stay with me!

The Gods



Every time we play the game, the order in which the Gods grant us their actions changes. It’s like a little twist that keeps things interesting.

At the start of each cycle, we shuffle the 4 large God tiles. Then, we randomly place them on the 4 empty spaces above Apollo’s space. If there are 5 of us playing, we place all 4 tiles face-up.

Now, things get even more interesting when there are 4 of us. The last God tile is placed face-down and is not available for this cycle. But don’t worry, in the next cycle, we’ll use this God tile and place it in the first space, face-up. We’ll shuffle the other 3 tiles. And guess what? The God tile that was in 4th place will now be face-down and become the first God in the next cycle.

When there are 3 of us playing, things change once again. The first two God tiles are placed face-up, while the last two are face-down. In the next cycle, we’ll use the two face-down God tiles. And in the cycle after that, we’ll shuffle all 4 God tiles again to create two new random pairs. It’s like a little surprise every time!

3. Revenue

Revenue is the total amount of money that a business earns from its various sources. These sources can include selling products or services, charging fees for subscriptions or memberships, advertising income, and more.

When I think about revenue, I imagine it as a big pot of money that keeps growing every time a business makes a sale or earns income from its different activities. It’s like a reward for the hard work and effort that businesses put in to provide valuable products and services to their customers.

But revenue is not just about making money. It’s also about how effectively a business manages its finances and uses the income it generates. Revenue can be used to cover expenses such as rent, utilities, salaries, and other costs associated with running a business. It can also be reinvested back into the business to fuel growth and expansion.

Understanding revenue is crucial for businesses because it helps them measure their financial performance and make informed decisions. By analyzing their revenue streams, businesses can identify which products or services are the most profitable and focus their efforts on maximizing those areas. They can also identify any inefficiencies or areas of improvement in their business operations and take steps to address them.

Revenue is not the same as profit, though it’s often confused with it. While revenue refers to the total amount of money earned, profit is the amount of money that’s left over after all expenses have been deducted. Profit is what businesses strive to achieve because it’s an indication that their operations are sustainable and profitable.

In conclusion, revenue is a critical aspect of running a successful business. It’s more than just making money; it’s about effectively managing finances, analyzing performance, and making informed decisions. By understanding revenue and its role in business operations, businesses can set themselves up for long-term success and growth.



Hey there! Let me break down the game mechanics for you. In this game, each city earns gold pieces (GP) based on how prosperous its isles are and how much seafaring commerce it engages in. Here’s how it works:

First off, every player receives 1 GP for each prosperity marker they control. These markers can be found on various isles and sea spaces. They’re represented by symbols printed on the board and by markers placed on the board thanks to Apollo (check out page 6 for more info).

Now, here’s the kicker: the GP you earn must be kept hidden behind your screen. Nobody should know exactly how much gold you have. It’s all about keeping your winnings a secret.

4. Offerings



When you want the support of the Gods and the benefits they offer, you have to give up some of your riches. In the game, each player takes a turn and picks a God to make an offering to. You place your offering marker on the space that corresponds to the offering you want to make to that particular God. If your offering goes over 10, you put one of your territory markers on the 10+ space. Your offering marker will show the remaining number beyond 10. For example, if you want to bid 13, you would put your territory marker on 10+ and your offering marker on 3. Each God only grants their favor to the player with the highest offering. If a player wants to make an offering to a God that has already been chosen by another player, their offering must be higher than the current one.

• In the game, when a player makes a bid, they must choose a different God than the one they previously bid on.
• If a player is outbid by another player, they can attempt to outbid that player before the next player takes their turn.
• Players can choose to place their marker on Apollo’s space without spending any resources. Multiple players can choose Apollo in the same round, with each player placing their token on a different space.
• The offering phase ends when every player has placed their marker on a God.
• Each player must pay the amount of resources they offered to their chosen God, taking into account any reductions from Priest cards.

Note: Before we begin, I want to make sure you understand something important: during the game, the number of GP each player has must be kept secret. However, it is crucial that you never make an offering you can’t afford – offending the Gods could have dire consequences!

5. Taking Action

The Gods are activated in a predetermined order at the start of each cycle.

If you have won the bid to offer something to the first God, you have the privilege of carrying out the actions associated with that God in any order you choose. Additionally, you have the option to use a Mythological Creature by paying the specified cost for each action.

The available actions are as follows:

• A. Summon one or more Mythological Creatures (all Gods except Apollo)
• B. Recruit (all Gods except Apollo)
• C. Build (all Gods except Apollo)
• D. Special action (all Gods except Athena and Apollo)
• E. Increase revenue (Apollo)

Did you know that the 4 main Gods all work the same way? It’s true! The only exception is Apollo, who has a special ability.

Here’s an interesting thing you can do: you can alternate your actions. For example, you could recruit, build, and then recruit again.

When you’re finished taking your actions, you need to place your offering marker on the last empty space of the turn track. This signals that it’s the turn of the player who won the offering bid on the next God to take their actions.

End Of The Round

Once every player has finished playing and put their offering marker back on the turn track, the round is over.

If any player has 2 Metropolises, the game ends. If not, a new cycle begins.

End of the Game

The game comes to an end when a cycle finishes and one player owns 2 Metropolises. That player is the winner of the game!

Let’s talk about what happens when there are multiple players who each end the game with two Metropolises. In this case, the player with the most Great Person (GP) cards left wins.

Now, I know this might sound a bit confusing, but stay with me! I’ll break it down for you. GP cards are those special cards that represent great figures from history, like scientists, artists, and leaders.

So, imagine we’re playing a game and it’s coming to an end. You and a few other players each have two Metropolises, which are these really important structures you build in the game. They’re like your own cities!

Now, let’s say you have some GP cards left behind your screen. The other players also have GP cards, but you have the most. That means you’re the one who’s going to win!

It’s like being a champion, right? Winning the game with the most GP cards is a true sign of greatness. So, make sure you keep an eye on those GP cards and use them wisely throughout the game.

In conclusion, when there are multiple players with two Metropolises, the one with the most GP cards left is the winner. So, if you want to take home the victory, make sure you’re collecting those GP cards and building your Metropolises strategically. Good luck and may the best player win!



Did you know that each island in this game has a special space reserved for an important building called Metropolis? It’s pretty cool! You can create a Metropolis in two ways: through Economic Development or Intellectual Development. Both ways are interesting and offer different advantages.

Economic Development:

If you choose the path of Economic Development, you’ll focus on building a strong economy for your island. This means you’ll need to manage your resources wisely and make smart decisions to boost your island’s financial growth. It’s like running a business, but on a much bigger scale!

Intellectual Development:

The other option is to go for Intellectual Development. This means you’ll prioritize education and research to make your island a hub of innovation and knowledge. You’ll invest in schools, universities, and research facilities to attract smart people and create a thriving intellectual community. It’s all about unlocking the power of ideas!

But here’s an interesting twist: you can also conquer an island that already has a Metropolis! Imagine the possibilities when you combine the powers of two Metropolises. It’s like having a super building that has all the powers of other buildings combined. Talk about an unstoppable force!