Santorini is a 3D strategy game designed to replicate the cliffside villages on Santorini Island in Greece. In the game, players move and build, with the aim of climbing on top of a three-story tower to win. Each player has the powers of one god or hero to aid them to win. In each new game, the strategies change as players need to adjust to their own new god powers, as well as their opponent’s. There are many different versions to ease players into the game. You can play with 2-4 players and each game typically takes 20 minutes to play.

Game Instructions:

To set up, place the island board on the cliff pedestal. Each player chooses a set of two matching-color workers. The youngest player starts and begins by placing two workers into any unoccupied spaces.

Beginner Version

The start player selects one of their workers and they move and then build. When they move it needs to be into one of the (up to) eight unoccupied neighboring spaces, meaning it does not contain a worker or a dome. A worker may only move up a maximum of one level higher, but they can move down any number of levels, or move along the same level. To build a block or a dome, it must be an unoccupied space neighboring the moved worker. It can be a level of any height but you must choose the correct item for the level built (see picture below). A tower with three blocks and a dome is a “complete tower” which you cannot occupy. You win if one of your workers moves up onto the third level of a tower (during your turn). If you ever cannot perform a move and then build you automatically lose.

Simple God Cards Version

After setting up, one player chooses enough simple God Cards (the cards with pink flowers in the bottom right corner) for each player to have one. In a clockwise order, everyone chooses a God Power until the original chooser receives the last one. That player will then choose a Start Player (including themself). The Start Player places 2 workers on any unoccupied space and it continues in a clockwise order. If a God Power causes a worker to be “forced” this does not mean they have “moved”. To win the game you must move up to the third level (not horizontal). The God Powers occur at different times, be sure to understand when your card applies, if additional setup is required, or if you can win in additional ways.

Advanced God Cards Version

This version is the same as the above version, however, Advanced God Cards are used. These cards are marked with a blue shell in the bottom right corner.

3- and 4-Player Version

First, ensure your God Cards are compatible with the number of players involved in the game. The cards may have 3, 4, or no people (at the top) to illustrate what type of game they are best suited for. In a 3-player game, if you are the first to lose you must remove your workers, tokens, and God

 Cards from the game while the other two players continue to play. In a 4-player game, you play in teams of two players, who share control of the workers. The teammates sit opposite each other and everyone has their own God Power (you cannot use your teammate’s power). During setup, your team’s first player places the workers and the second player takes the first turn. If any player wins, their team wins. If any player loses, their team loses.

Click on the photos below to read the God Powers:

Here is a list of all of the gods and heroes, click on their name to watch a short video explanation of their power:

Simple gods:

Apollo – God of Music

Artemis – Goddess of the Hunt

Athena – Goddess of Wisdom

Atlas – Titan Shouldering the Heavens

Demeter – Goddess of the Harvest

Hephaestus – God of Blacksmiths

Hermes – God of Travel

Minotaur – Bull-headed Monster

Pan – God of the Wild

Prometheus – Titan Benefactor of Mankind

Complex gods:

Aphrodite – Goddess of Love

Ares – God of War

Bia – Goddess of Violence

Chaos – Primordial Nothingness

Charon – Ferryman to the Underworld

Chronus – God of Time

Circe – Divine Enchantress

Dionysus – God of Wine

Eros – God of Desire

Hera – Goddess of Marriage

Hestia – Goddess of Hearth and Home

Hypnus – God of Sleep

Limus – Goddess of Famine

Medusa – Petrifying Gorgon

Morpheus – God of Dreams

Persephone – Goddess of Spring Growth

Poseidon – God of the Sea

Selene – Goddess of the Moon

Triton – God of the Waves

Zeus – God of the Sky

Curriculum Connections

Coming soon.

Connections to Processes

Communication [C]: In the game, students can discuss their strategies with both their partners and their opponents. Students will verbalize their potential moves and can be guided by their peers or teacher towards using mathematical language such as beside, horizontal, vertical, diagonal, above, and/or below. As students communicate they will connect the concrete representation of the board and pieces with the mental representation of area, perimeter, and grids.

Problem Solving [PS]: This game allows students to constantly tackle new problems because the God Powers change every game and that completely changes the effectiveness of the strategies. Students will need to adjust their strategies to discover what works best with their new powers and against their opponent’s new powers. As students gain experience they will also gain confidence in taking risks to discover the best strategies. The creativity of the game cultivates creative solutions from the students.

Visualization [V]: The 3D aspect of the game adds an unusual element of thinking strategically using vertical levels as well. Students will need to work to visualize their potential moves and the effects of those moves. The grid board provides students with informal experience with locating objects in space in geometry.

Reasoning [R]: During the game students need to constantly defend their choices of movement by explaining how it utilizes their power or protects their player from their opponent. Different God Powers will match up differently, which keeps students actively engaged. In partners, students need to discuss how to best work as a team and collaborate on ideas, using concise and logical language, to reason the best move.