Master of Olympus is a new board game in which players take on the role of ancient Greek gods and goddesses and use heroes, armies and creatures to collect artefacts and conquer cities. Players secretly choose their actions, deploy their forces then let the epic quests and fearsome battles unfold.
Master of Olympus was inspired by scenes in films of the Greek myths (including Hercules and Clash of the Titans) in which the gods are shown sitting around on Mount Olympus watching events unfold for the unfortunate heroes and villains. The story they are watching is often portrayed as a board game, and a simple thought went through my mind during one of these scenes: “Wouldn’t it be great if you could play that board game?” Six years later, Master of Olympus is complete. At least, the game is a complete. As a product worthy of entering the board game market, its journey has only just begun. Stay tuned for updates on promotion, artwork and 3D-printed plastic pieces stacked on top of one another. By following this blog and “Liking” the game on Facebook and social media, you will join me on this exciting journey.
Master of Olympus features a unique stacking mechanic, in which large armies and fleets literally tower over the board. A player’s stacks require resources and infrastructure to stay on the board, which is represented by “support”. The more cities and heroes a player has, the more armies and fleets they can recruit. Players must expand rapidly towards the board’s contested victory points, taking care to avoid overstretching themselves and losing their unsupported troops to Winter!
Though I regret not keeping a blog throughout the design process, I am very excited to be doing so now. As I write the game is at a turning point: after six years, three complete overhauls and a lot of Lego blocks my game has lifted its head, sniffed the air and set out to seek its fortune. Thank you for joining us.
Richard Buxton, May 2017
UPDATE As of February 2019, Master of Olympus has been joined by a new game, Test of Time, a strategy game in which players lead a nation from the Stone Age to the Modern Age. This project is the more viable as a product and is therefore, in the short term, the focus of my efforts. Master of Olympus will be hot on its heals, however.
Click here to see a sell sheet for Test of Time.
About the designer
I am a board game designer based in the south of England. I discovered a love for board game design at the age of 18, when I set out to re-tell the entirety of ancient Greek mythology in a single board game. I am an active member of the Birmingham Game Designers, Playtest UK and various other communities. My favourite games to play are Dixit, Smallworld and Sushi Go.
Master of Olympus 