2020 · Renaissance
Alma Mater
Players act as headmasters of independent 15th-century universities working to raise their institution’s reputation and standing. On each turn, players recruit staff and students, develop expertise across four academic disciplines, and engage in exchanges of knowledge with other schools. Actions generate influence, resources, and advancement in disciplines; players allocate hires and research to build their university over the course of the game. Scoring reflects reputation, discipline mastery, and institutional growth, with strategic trade-offs between immediate gains and long-term prestige.
- Players
- 2–4 best 4
- Playing time
- 90–150 min
- Age
- 12+
- Complexity
- 3.7 / 5
About the game
- Publisher
Expansions
See them in Ludoya
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Where to buy it
Shop prices and second-hand copies, checked every day.
On Ludoya's tables
Full stats in Ludoya- 119
- Plays logged
- 194
- Players
- 2h 14m
- Average play
- 101
- In collections
- 13
- On wishlists
7.8/10
from 32 Ludoya reviews
Iggy7.6 Diversión 4/5 · Interacción 3/5 · Atractivo 4/5 · Originalidad 4/5 · Rejugabilidad 4/5 · Accesibilidad 3/5
First impressions · 1 play
Rules questions
Answered from the rulebook by Ludoya's rules assistant.
How many masters do I have to place on an action space that's already been used this round?
To use an unoccupied action space you place 1 master; if there are already masters on that space you must place one more master than the highest number of masters of a single color already there, and you may not use a space where you already have masters. (p. 8)
If a professor has already been recruited by someone else, do I still have to pay ducats to recruit them?
If another player recruited the professor before you, you must pay exactly the same books that player paid but you do not pay any ducats; after recruiting you may immediately give a free lecture and then exhaust the professor. (p. 9)
What's the difference between green and black research steps — do I always have to meet costs to advance?
A green research step lets you advance one level on the research track without meeting the requirements or paying the cost, while a black research step only lets you advance if you meet the shown requirements or pay the cost; if you gain both in the same turn you may choose the order, and you cannot save research steps for later. (p. 5)
When is the book reputation set and how does it affect student recruitment and income?
The book reputation track is established at the end of the first round (and rearranged in later rounds) based on players' positions on the research track; it determines which textbook ranks/colors you must spend to recruit students and also modifies the ducats you gain during the income phase. (pp. 7, 8)
If I place a tutor on the bishop, does it count toward determining next round's turn order?
Tutors count as masters for most effects but tutors placed on the bishop do not affect the player order; only regular masters on the bishop determine turn order. (p. 8; bishop rules p. 10)
Free, on web, Android and iOS
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Game facts (players, playing time, age, credits) from BoardGameGeek.