# Cartographers

Cartographers is a board game for 1–100 players. It plays in 30–45 minutes and is meant for ages 10 and up. Ludoya players call it best with 4. It is rated 7.2 out of 10 by 168 Ludoya reviewers. The cheapest copy in stock is $21.59 (United States).

- **Players:** 1–100 (best with 4)
- **Playing time:** 30–45 minutes
- **Minimum age:** 10+
- **Complexity:** 1.9 out of 5
- **Year published:** 2019
- **Categories:** Fantasy, Territory Building
- **Mechanics:** Solo / Solitaire Game, End Game Bonuses, Take That, Grid Coverage, Variable Set-up, Paper-and-Pencil, Bingo, Simultaneous Action Selection, Enclosure, Pattern Building, Square Grid
- **Ludoya rating:** 7.2 out of 10, from 168 reviews
- **Owned by:** 379 Ludoya players
- **Plays logged on Ludoya:** 2,513
- **Unique players:** 1,332

**Designers:** Jordy Adan

**Artists:** Lucas Ribeiro, Luis Francisco

**Publishers:** Ігромаг, Thunderworks Games

## Where to buy in United States

| Shop | Price | Link |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Cardhaus Games | 21.59 $ | https://www.cardhaus.com/cartographers-a-roll-player-tale/ |
| Miniature Market | 21.99 $ | https://www.miniaturemarket.com/twk4050.html |
| Rampi Games | 19.95 € | https://www.rampigames.com/juego-de-mesa/cartografos/ |
| Mathom | 20.66 € | https://mathom.es/es/cartografos/42351-cartografos-un-relato-de-roll-player-8436564811417.html |
| Juegos de la Mesa Redonda | 19.51 € | https://juegosdelamesaredonda.com/8776-cartografos-un-relato-de-roll-player-8436564811417.html |
| Svet deskovych her | 490 Kč | https://www.svet-deskovych-her.cz/produkty/7555/kartografove |
| Zacatrus | 20.65 € | https://zacatrus.es/cartografos-un-relato-de-roll-player.html |
| Dungeon Marvels | 20.66 € | https://dungeonmarvels.com/cartografos-un-relato-de-roll-player-65642.html |
| Alphaspel | 255 kr | https://alphaspel.se/491-bradspel/138084-cartographers-a-roll-player-tale-se |
| Homoludicus Granollers | 22.95 € | https://homoludicus-granollers.org/cartografos |
| Zatu Games | 20.49 £ | https://zatu.com/products/roll-player-cartographers-expansion |
| Travelling Man | 20.5 £ | https://travellingman.com/products/cartographers |
| Hyggeonkel | 189.95 kr | https://www.hyggeonkel.dk/produkt/cartographers-a-roll-player-tale-dansk |
| Dragons Lair | 289 kr | https://dragonslair.se/products/cartographers-a-roll-player-tale |
| World of Board Games | 299 kr | https://www.worldofboardgames.com/cartographers-a-roll-player-tale |
| 365 Games | 22.99 £ | https://365games.co.uk/products/cartographers-a-roll-player-tale |
| Pelipeikko | 27.95 € | https://pelipeikko.fi/fi/lautapelit/642-cartographers-a-roll-player-tale |
| Spilforsyningen | 219.95 kr | https://spilforsyningen.dk/products/cartographers-dansk |
| Fantasiapelit | 34.7 € | https://www.fantasiapelit.com/index.php?main=ai&kat=single&mista=indeksi&etsittava=_193530 |
| Nexus | 4795 kr | https://nexus.is/vara/cartographers-a-roll-player-tale/ |

## Expansions

- [Cartographers: Skills Mini Expansion](https://www.ludoya.com/games/cartographers-skills-mini-expansion)
- [Cartographers: Map Pack 1 – Nebblis: Plane of Flame](https://www.ludoya.com/games/cartographers-map-pack-1-nebblis-plane-of-flame)
- [Cartographers: Map Pack 2 – Affril: Plane of Knowledge](https://www.ludoya.com/games/cartographers-map-pack-2-affril-plane-of-knowledge)
- [Cartographers: Map Pack 3 – Undercity: Depths of Sabek](https://www.ludoya.com/games/cartographers-map-pack-3-undercity-depths-of-sabek)
- [Cartographers: Ambush Mini Expansion](https://www.ludoya.com/games/cartographers-ambush-mini-expansion)
- [Cartographers: Skills Mini Expansion 2](https://www.ludoya.com/games/cartographers-skills-mini-expansion-2)
- [Cartographers: Map Pack 4 – Frozen Expanse: Realm of Frost Giants](https://www.ludoya.com/games/cartographers-map-pack-4-frozen-expanse-realm-of-frost-giants)
- [Cartographers: Map Pack 6 – Hornhelm: Wasteland Market](https://www.ludoya.com/games/cartographers-map-pack-6-hornhelm-wasteland-market)
- [Cartographers: Map Pack 5 – Kethra's Steppe: Redtooth & Goldbelly](https://www.ludoya.com/games/cartographers-map-pack-5-kethras-steppe-redtooth-and-goldbelly)
- [Cartographers: Map Pack Collection](https://www.ludoya.com/games/cartographers-map-pack-collection)
- [Cartographers: New Discoveries](https://www.ludoya.com/games/cartographers-new-discoveries)
- [Cartographers: Architects Mini Expansion](https://www.ludoya.com/games/cartographers-architects-mini-expansion)
- [Cartographers: Ambush 2 Mini Expansion](https://www.ludoya.com/games/cartographers-ambush-2-mini-expansion)
- [Der Kartograph & Die Kartographin: Ferne Expeditionen](https://www.ludoya.com/games/der-kartograph-and-die-kartographin-ferne-expeditionen)
- [Cartographers: Map Pack Collection 2](https://www.ludoya.com/games/cartographers-packs-de-parchemins-2)
- [Cartographers: Packs de parchemins](https://www.ludoya.com/games/cartographers-packs-de-parchemins)
- [Der Kartograph & Die Kartographin: Unbekannte Lande](https://www.ludoya.com/games/der-kartograph-and-die-kartographin-unbekannte-lande)

## Similar games

- [Cartographers Heroes](https://www.ludoya.com/games/cartographers-heroes)
- [Cartographers Heroes: Collector's Edition](https://www.ludoya.com/games/cartographers-heroes-collectors-edition)
- [Welcome To...](https://www.ludoya.com/games/welcome-to)
- [Welcome To...: Collector's Edition](https://www.ludoya.com/games/welcome-to-collectors-edition)
- [Calico](https://www.ludoya.com/games/calico)
- [Post Office](https://www.ludoya.com/games/post-office-4)
- [Shake That City](https://www.ludoya.com/games/shake-that-city)
- [The Isle of Cats: Explore & Draw](https://www.ludoya.com/games/the-isle-of-cats-explore-and-draw)
- [My City: Roll & Build](https://www.ludoya.com/games/my-city-roll-and-write)
- [Voyages](https://www.ludoya.com/games/voyages)
- [Shallow Sea](https://www.ludoya.com/games/shallow-sea)
- [Fit to Print](https://www.ludoya.com/games/fit-to-print)

## Rules questions

### Can I rotate or flip the shape on an explore card before I draw it?

Yes — you may rotate and/or flip the chosen shape before drawing it on your map (Rulebook p.6).

### Do I have to place the chosen shape touching my existing terrain?

No — the chosen shape does not have to be drawn adjacent to any shapes previously drawn; it just must not overlap filled spaces or the map edge (Rulebook p.6).

### When a Ruins card is revealed, which shapes must we use to overlap a ruins space?

If a ruins card is revealed, immediately reveal the next explore card and each player must draw one of the available shapes depicted on that next card so it overlaps a ruins space if possible (Rulebook pp.5, 7).

### How does an Ambush work — whose map do we draw on and what terrain do we use?

When an ambush is revealed, pass your map in the arrow's direction, draw the depicted shape on your neighbor’s map and fill it with the monster terrain (or a 1x1 monster if it can’t be legally placed), then return maps to their owners and discard the ambush (Rulebook p.7).

### How do I check whether a season has ended — do I add up all revealed cards' time values?

Yes — add together the time values of all currently revealed explore cards in the column and compare the total to the season card’s time threshold; if it meets or exceeds the threshold, the season ends (Rulebook p.8).

### Do mountains and wastelands count as filled spaces, and how do I earn coins from mountains?

Mountain, monster, and wasteland spaces count as filled spaces (Rulebook p.9). You earn coins by surrounding a mountain (filling all four orthogonally adjacent spaces) or by choosing a shape that shows a coin symbol, and each filled coin symbol on your coin track is worth one reputation star at season scoring (Rulebook pp.6, 8, 9).

## Links

- [This page](https://www.ludoya.com/games/cartographers)
- [Cartographers in the Ludoya app](https://app.ludoya.com/g/cartographers)
- [BoardGameGeek entry](https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/263918)

_Data from Ludoya, updated 2026-09-18. Ratings, ownership and play counts are Ludoya's own._