Last Updated on February 1, 2026 by The Official Game Rules Team

Type: Building | Players: 2-4 Players | Length: 20 minutes

In Santorini, players compete to construct magnificent towers on the island of Santorini — a fast, strategic, and highly visual game of movement, building, and divine powers. At its core, the game is simple: move, build, and climb to the top. But with over 50 unique God and Hero Powers, Santorini quickly evolves from a simple abstract puzzle into a deep tactical experience where no two games are the same.

This detailed guide explains everything you need to know about how to play Santorini, including setup, base rules, God Power setup, Hero Power mode, and advanced variants like the Golden Fleece.

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How to Play Santorini (Complete Rules Guide)

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Table of Contents

Components | Game Setup | Gameplay | Winning the Game | God Powers | Simple Gods | Advanced Gods | Golden Fleece Gods | Hero Powers | End of the Game | Strategy | FAQ | 3-4 Player Rules

Components

• 1 Cliff Pedestal
• 1 Ocean Board
• 1 Island Board
• 30 God Power Cards
• 10 Hero Power Cards
• 6 Worker Figures (2 per player, in 3 colors)
• 18 Domes
• 22 Level 1 Blocks
• 18 Level 2 Blocks
• 14 Level 3 Blocks

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Game Setup

1. Assemble the Island
   • Place the Cliff Pedestal on the Ocean Board, matching the long and short tabs.
   • Set the Island Board on top of the pedestal using the same tabs for alignment.
2. Place Workers
   • The youngest player becomes the Start Player.
   • The Start Player places two Workers of their color on any unoccupied spaces.
   • The other player(s) place their Workers afterward.

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Basic Gameplay

The Start Player takes the first turn. Each turn, you must:

1. Move one of your Workers.
2. Then build using that same Worker.

If at any time you are unable to move or build, you lose the game.

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Phase 1: Move

• Choose one of your Workers and move it into any of the 8 neighboring spaces (orthogonal or diagonal).
• A Worker may move:
  • Up one level higher,
  • Down any number of levels, or
  • Across the same level.
• A Worker cannot move up more than one level at a time.
• You cannot move into a space already occupied by another Worker or a Dome.

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Phase 2: Build

After moving, your selected Worker must build on any unoccupied space adjacent to it.

• You may place:
  • A Level 1 Block on the ground,
  • A Level 2 Block atop a Level 1 Block,
  • A Level 3 Block atop a Level 2 Block, or
  • A Dome atop a Level 3 Block (completing the tower).

Note: You cannot build out of sequence — each level must be built in order.
A tower with three blocks and a dome is called a Complete Tower and cannot be climbed.

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Winning the Game

• You instantly win if one of your Workers moves up onto a Level 3 space during your turn.
• If you are ever unable to complete a full turn (move + build), you lose.
• Once you’ve mastered these base rules, you can introduce God Powers to add new strategic dimensions.

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Using God Powers

After playing several games with the base rules, add God Power cards to introduce divine abilities that modify how you move, build, or win.

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God Power Setup

1. Choose the Challenger:
   The player who seems most “god-like” is designated the Challenger.
2. Select God Powers:
   The Challenger selects one God Power per player from the available deck.
3. Read Aloud:
   The Challenger reads each selected God Power’s description aloud from the rulebook.
4. Choose Powers:
   In clockwise order, each player chooses one of the revealed God Powers.
   The Challenger takes the remaining one.
5. Place Workers:
   Starting with the Challenger, each player places their Workers on unoccupied spaces on the Island Board.
6. Start the Game:
   The Challenger chooses who takes the first turn.

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Using Your God Power

• You must always follow the base move and build rules, except where your God Power says otherwise.
• If your card says you “cannot” or “must” do something, it overrides the normal rules.
• Domes are not considered “blocks.”
• “Forced” movement caused by God Powers does not count as a normal “move” and cannot trigger a win.

Some powers add:

• Additional Win Conditions
• Special Setup Instructions
• Advanced restrictions or exceptions

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Simple Gods (Recommended for Beginners)

God	Title	Power Description
Apollo	God of Music	Move into an opponent’s space by forcing their Worker to the space you left.
Artemis	Goddess of the Hunt	Move one additional time, but not back to your starting space.
Athena	Goddess of Wisdom	If one of your Workers moved up last turn, opponents cannot move up this turn.
Atlas	Titan Shouldering the Heavens	May build a dome on any level.
Demeter	Goddess of the Harvest	May build one additional time, but not on the same space.
Hephaestus	God of Blacksmiths	May build a second block (not dome) on top of your first build.
Hermes	God of Travel	If your Workers don’t move up or down, they may each move any number of times, then build.
Minotaur	Bull-Headed Monster	Move into an opponent’s space by forcing them one space straight back if unoccupied.
Pan	God of the Wild	Also win if your Worker moves down two or more levels in one move.
Prometheus	Titan Benefactor of Mankind	If your Worker doesn’t move up, it may build both before and after moving.

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Advanced Gods (Expert Powers)

God	Title	Power Description
Aphrodite	Goddess of Love	If an opponent’s Worker starts its turn next to yours, its last move must end adjacent to your Worker.
Ares	God of War	At the end of your turn, you may remove an unoccupied block (not dome) next to your unmoved Worker.
Bia	Goddess of Violence	Setup: Place your Workers first. If your Worker moves into an opponent’s space and the next space is occupied by another Worker, that Worker is removed.
Chaos	Primordial Nothingness	Use the top God Power from a shuffled deck of unused Simple Gods; replace it each time a dome is built.
Charon	Ferryman to the Underworld	Before moving, force a neighboring opponent Worker to the opposite space if unoccupied.
Chronus	God of Time	You also win when there are at least five complete towers on the board.
Circe	Divine Enchantress	If opponents’ Workers don’t touch, you may use their God Power until your next turn.
Dionysus	God of Wine	When you complete a tower with a dome, take an extra turn controlling an opponent’s Worker.
Eros	God of Desire	Win if your Workers meet on the same level along opposite edges of the board.
Hera	Goddess of Marriage	Opponents cannot win by moving into perimeter spaces.
Hestia	Goddess of Hearth and Home	May build an additional time, but not on a perimeter space.
Hypnus	God of Sleep	If one of your opponent’s Workers is the highest, it cannot move this turn.
Limus	Goddess of Famine	Opponents cannot build on spaces next to your Workers unless completing a dome.
Medusa	Petrifying Gaze	At the end of your turn, any lower neighboring opponent Workers are removed and replaced with domes.
Morpheus	God of Dreams	Collect blocks and domes on your God Power card and use them to build instead of normal building.
Persephone	Goddess of Spring	If possible, opponents must move up this turn.
Poseidon	God of the Sea	If your unmoved Worker is on ground level, it may build up to three times.
Selene	Goddess of the Moon	Your female Worker may build a dome at any level instead of a normal build.
Triton	God of the Waves	Each time your Worker moves into a perimeter space, it may move again.
Zeus	God of the Sky	Your Worker may build a block under itself.

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Golden Fleece Gods (Expansion Powers)

God	Title	Power Description
Aeolus	God of the Winds	Workers cannot move directly into the wind; you may change the wind’s direction each turn.
Charybdis	Whirlpool Monster	Place two whirlpool tokens; when both are in play, a Worker stepping into one teleports to the other.
Clio	Muse of History	Mark your first three builds with coins; opponents treat those spaces as domes.
Europa & Talus	Queen & Guardian Automaton	Place the Talus token each turn; spaces it occupies count as domes.
Gaea	Goddess of the Earth	Whenever you complete a dome, place an extra Worker on a neighboring ground-level space.
Graeae	The Gray Hags	Choose which of your Workers builds each turn.
Hades	God of the Underworld	Opponents cannot move down.
Harpies	Winged Menaces	When an opponent moves, they automatically continue one extra space in the same direction unless blocked.
Hecate	Goddess of Magic	Hide your Workers on a secret map; cancel illegal opponent actions that target hidden Workers.
Morcae	Goddesses of Fate	Secretly mark a 2×2 grid of fate spaces. If an opponent moves into one, they win instead.
Nemesis	Goddess of Retribution	If no opponent Worker is adjacent to yours, swap all positions at the end of your turn.
Siren	Alluring Sea Nymph	Instead of taking a normal turn, force opponent Workers one space toward your chosen direction.
Tartarus	God of the Abyss	Secretly choose one “Abyss” space. Any Worker entering it immediately loses.
Terpsichore	Muse of Dancing	Both of your Workers must move, then both must build.
Urania	Muse of Astronomy	The board wraps around—opposite edges and corners count as adjacent.

Golden Fleece Power Setup

1. Choose one God Power showing the Golden Fleece icon.
2. Place the Ram figure on an unoccupied space on the board.
3. Players do not have personal God Powers — only the Golden Fleece power.

How it Works

• Any player with a Worker adjacent to the Ram gains the Golden Fleece ability for their entire turn.
• This includes any “End of Turn” effects the power may trigger.

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Hero Powers (2-Player Mode)

Hero Powers are one-time-use abilities marked with a purple card back and a helmet icon (Ω).

Setup

• Follow the “God Power Setup” rules.
• Each player selects one Hero Power card instead of a God Power.

Rules

• You may use your Hero Power once per game.
• Components you remove or spend to activate it are permanent.
• Hero Powers cannot be used in the Golden Fleece variant.
• Designed for 2-player play only.

Tip: For balanced matches between players of unequal skill, let the stronger player take a Hero Power and the weaker player take a God Power.

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Hero Powers (One-Time Abilities)

Hero	Title	Power Description
Achilles	Volatile Warrior	Once per game, your Worker may build both before and after moving.
Adonis	Demigodly Handsome	Once per game, choose an opponent’s Worker—it must end its next turn next to yours.
Atalanta	Swift Huntress	Once per game, your Worker may move any number of times in a single turn.
Bellerophon	Tamer of Pegasus	Once per game, move up two levels in one move.
Heracles	Doer of Great Deeds	Once per game, both Workers may build any number of domes (even zero).
Jason	Leader of the Argonauts	Once per game, place an extra Worker on a perimeter ground-level space and immediately build.
Medea	Powerful Sorceress	Once per game, remove a block from beneath any Workers next to your unmoved Worker.
Odysseus	Cunning Leader	Once per game, force two adjacent opponent Workers to new spaces.
Polyphemus	Gigantic Cyclops	Once per game, build up to two domes anywhere on unoccupied spaces.
Theseus	Slayer of the Minotaur	Once per game, remove a neighboring opponent Worker exactly two levels above yours.

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End of the Game

• You win immediately if one of your Workers moves onto Level 3.
• Some God Powers add alternative win conditions (e.g., Chronus or Pan).
• If you cannot move and build on your turn, you lose.

Record your victories and divine triumphs in your Santorini logbook or track ongoing duels among gods.

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Strategy Tips

• Control elevation. Prevent opponents from gaining access to Level 3 towers — blocking is as powerful as building.
• Use both Workers. Keep one to pressure the board and another to climb.
• Learn your God. Play to your ability’s strength — e.g., Athena controls movement, Hermes dominates mobility.
• Don’t overextend. Early tower building gives opponents opportunities to climb; timing matters.
• Adapt constantly. Every God matchup is different — test synergies and anticipate how others may counter your power.

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Santorini FAQ

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3- and 4-Player Rules

While Santorini is designed and balanced primarily as a 2-player strategy game, there are official variants for 3 and 4 players when you want to include more people at the table. These versions follow the same core rules, with a few important adjustments.

General Setup

For games with 3 or 4 players, God Powers are required. When selecting powers, make sure they are compatible with your player count:

• Use God Powers marked with a three-player icon for 3-player games.
• Use God Powers marked with a four-player icon for 4-player games.

All other standard setup rules remain the same unless noted below.

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3-Player Game

Each player controls their own color and God Power. Gameplay proceeds in turn order as normal.

• If a player loses, immediately remove their Workers, Tokens, and God Power card from the game.
• The remaining players continue play without resetting the board.
• The last surviving player is declared the winner.

This format creates a tense, elimination-style match where timing and positioning are crucial to survival.

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4-Player Team Game

In the 4-player variant, players compete in teams of two. Each team controls two shared Workers and must coordinate carefully to win.

• Teammate Seating: Partners sit opposite each other, alternating turns between teams.
• Individual Powers: Each player has their own God Power but may only use their own—you cannot activate your teammate’s ability.
• Setup Order: The first player on a team places both Workers during setup. The second player on that team takes the first turn.
• Winning and Losing:
  • If any player on a team wins, the entire team wins.
  • If any player on a team loses, the entire team loses.

Team play adds a cooperative twist, requiring communication and foresight while maintaining Santorini’s tactical depth.

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Conclusion

That covers the essential Santorini rules and all the unique God and Hero Powers that enhance the game. To effectively learn how to play Santorini, remember the core loop: move one of your two workers, then build with that same worker, aiming to be the first to move onto a third-level building to claim victory, all while strategically using your chosen God’s special ability to gain an edge or foil your opponent’s plans. This simple yet deep foundation is what makes every game a unique and engaging challenge.