As the ruler of a „comune,” or independent city-state, in northern Italy during the late Middle Ages, you must guide your people in the development of all aspects of society: economics, religion, culture, and the military. But your comune is not alone: the other rules also seek to advance their people.

You must show that your comune is the best!

During the game, you will send your envoys with bids of gold to attract the most advanced artisans and thinkers, hoping that they will complete thier great projects in your city. Each project you complete earns fame and glory for your comune. Naturally, the winner of the game will be the one with most glorious comune at the end, so you will need to outwit your opponents to attract the best projects and advance your society.

But do not think that you can just build a great city and then sit back and wait for an opportunity! For like all great societies, the most important resources in Comuni are not things, but rather people. And people are not attracted to your comune by the accomplishments of your past. If you want to keep them coming to help your improve your city, you will have to continue to improve, constantly pushing your people higher and higher!

Sadly, you cannot simply compete with the other comuni in peace. Mighty foes lurk outside the region, waiting for the proper moment to strike. When they do, they attack the wealthiest and most powerful comune with the greatest amount of force! If you leap into too great a lead, the invaders will land squarely on your shoulders, and much of your progress will be undone as they pillage your city.

Fortunately, a comune does not stand alone. All of you are joined together in a league of common defense. Together, you can send your armies out to meet the foe and weaken him before he can reach the city. But the armies are always sent in secret. Can you depend on your allies to support you? Or will they abandon you to your fate? Should you focus on building mighty walls? Or can your diplomacy convince your rivals to stand with you on the field of battle?

If you hope to be victorious in „Comuni”, you will need to balance your military, commercial, religious, and cultural development. You will need to keep an eye on devloping invasions, and the plots of the other comuni. This tense competition for cultural dominance is not for the faint of heart!

„Comuni” was designed by the veteran team of Italian designers known as Acchitocca. They appeared on the scene in 2006 with the widely successful Leonardo da Vinci. „Comuni” is the third published game from this talented group.