Are you the greatest Gute of them all?
A game about sheep, pirates, and overly embellished churches.
2-4 players. 2-3 hours. Print-and-play.
Game design: Frederik Jensen and Anton Daniel Jensen.
Overview
In Gotlandia you take on the role as families on the island of Gotland competing for power and prestige through trade, piracy, and overly embellished churches.
The historical context of the game is the period 1100-1400 where Gotland prospered on the trade in the Baltic Sea leading to the creation of magnificent churches across the island. The golden age ended when a series of calamities swept the island.
Gotland is divided into six settings, each divided into three or four regions for a total of 21 regions. Players begin with two farmsteads and expand into more regions during the game. Families live side by side competing and cooperating. Disputes are resolved at the Gotland Assembly in Roma where also monks teach how to create tar and how to breed horses.
During the game, players upgrade farmsteads to towers and towers to churches. They then compete to decorate their churches with the most magnificent works of art.
The city of Wisby with its deep water harbour and its trade connections to every corner of the Baltic Sea is a bustling market. The sea around Gotland is divided into six directions. Ships provide protection and food as well as the opportunity to raid foreign shores. Pirates appear throughout the game. They sink ships and attack regions unless dealt with.
You play Gotlandia over nine to eleven generations (turns) spanning three centuries. At the start of each generation, you reveal the top generation card. The card tells you where pirates appear in the sea around Gotland and which resources that are in high demand, earning extra silver when sold. Some cards ask you to send workers to defend Gotland or to pay taxes to invaders.
Players score victory points based on their position on the map of Gotland at the end of each century. At game end players also score for sunk pirates, buried treasure, and church decorations. The player with the most victory points wins and is the greatest Gute of them all!
How to play Gotlandia
Here is a walkthrough of the first generations of a game of Gotlandia.
Download
Download the latest version of the print-and-play edition of Gotlandia:
- Rules (2026-01-19)
- Cards (2026-01-19)
- Player boards (2025-02-06)
- Tokens (2024-08-15)
- Board (40 cm x 54 cm)(2025-02-06)
All components are copyright Frederik Jensen. Permission granted to print and play for non commercial use.
Design diary
The game is under development. Follow the design diary for updates on the project.