How to Play

Nidavellir

2-5 players 45-45 min 7.6 Board Game Geek Rating

Dragon Fafnir threatens the Dwarf Kingdom, and you must assemble an army to stop him. Bid coins at taverns to recruit skilled dwarves across five classes—blacksmith, hunter, warrior, explorer, and miner—each scoring differently. Strategic recruitment attracts powerful heroes while a coin-building system increases your bidding power against rival Elvalands.

Published 2020

Get Ready

Setup the game with these step-by-step instructions before diving into your turn.

Distribute player components

Give each player a player board, random gem, and a set of 5 red coins (0, 2, 3, 4, 5)

Place tavern signs

Put tavern signs in center with room to display cards for each

Arrange special cards

Array Hero and Distinction cards to the side so that their left edges are visible

Prepare Royal Treasury

Set up coin holder; for 2 or 3 players, remove 2 coins worth 7, 9, 11

Adjust for player count

If not playing with 5 players, remove cards marked with "5" in bottom right corner

Prepare Age decks

Shuffle each deck of Age cards (I and II) separately

On Your Turn

What you can do during your turn.

Deal cards to taverns

At the start of each round, draw and place cards from the current Age deck into the three taverns – one card per player, plus one extra for two-player games

Place bids secretly

All players simultaneously place one coin face-down on each tavern symbol on their player boards as their bids, with remaining two coins face-down in pouch slots

Reveal bids

All players reveal their bid coin on the next tavern (Laughing Goblin, Dancing Dragon, Shining Horse)

Select a card

In bidding value order (highest to lowest), each player takes one card from the tavern

Recruit heroes

If the player now has more completed rows than heroes, recruit and place a Hero card

Perform coin trade

If played coin is a 0, reveal coins in pouch and exchange the higher value coin with a coin from the Royal Treasury having the sum of those two coins (or next higher value if missing, next lower if necessary)

Trade gems

Trade gems between players that tied for the same coin values (lowest and highest value gems are traded, second lowest and second highest are traded)

Handle coin exchanges

Starting set red coins are removed from the game; gold coins are returned to Royal Treasury; coin value 0 can never be exchanged, except by Hunters distinction card

Winning

How to claim victory.

Award Distinction cards

When Age I deck runs out, award Distinction cards in order (Brown, Orange, Green, Purple, Blue) to players with most rank for each class; if Blue is not won, discard top card from Age II deck

Calculate Blue/Explorer points

Sum of values in rank banners

Calculate Brown/Warrior points

Sum of values in rank banners; player(s) with most rank also add their highest coin value

Calculate Orange/Miner points

Sum of values in rank banners multiplied by the number of rank banners

Calculate Green/Hunter points

Number of hunters squared (see player board chart)

Calculate Purple/Blacksmith points

Geometric sequence (+3, +4, +5, etc) (see player board chart)

Determine winner

When Age II deck runs out, total victory points from the value of five coins at game end, any bonuses, and total value of each class of dwarves; highest total wins