The Voynich Puzzle

2025 · Medieval

The Voynich Puzzle

Players cooperate and compete to decode a mysterious illustrated manuscript by building shared understanding and individual expertise. On each turn, a player chooses a double-page spread from their personal book and resolves the actions printed there, advancing research in one of five thematic sections: botany, astrology, baths, writing and recipes. Gaining knowledge in a section lets players add visible puzzle pieces to the communal manuscript, flip or turn pages in their books, unlock stronger actions and improve endgame scoring opportunities. The game ends after a player reaches the final track space; everyone finishes the round and takes one final turn before scores are calculated to determine who amassed the most knowledge.

Players
1–4 best 3
Playing time
90–120 min
Age
14+
Complexity
3.9 / 5
8.6 on Ludoyafrom $60.48Tile PlacementContractsDeck, Bag, and Pool Building

About the game

Photos from Ludoya tables

All photos in Ludoya
  • The Voynich Puzzle on the table, photo by MarFe MaAn
  • The Voynich Puzzle on the table, photo by MarFe MaAn
  • The Voynich Puzzle on the table, photo by MarFe MaAn
  • The Voynich Puzzle on the table, photo by MarFe MaAn
  • The Voynich Puzzle on the table, photo by MarFe MaAn
  • The Voynich Puzzle on the table, photo by Amy
  • The Voynich Puzzle on the table, photo by Amy
  • The Voynich Puzzle on the table, photo by Kabra
  • The Voynich Puzzle on the table, photo by Kabra
  • The Voynich Puzzle on the table, photo by Kabra
  • The Voynich Puzzle on the table, photo by Kabra
  • The Voynich Puzzle on the table, photo by Kabra

On Ludoya's tables

Full stats in Ludoya
62
Plays logged
110
Players
1h 57m
Average play
34
In collections
15
On wishlists
1
Pre-ordered

8.6/10

from 6 Ludoya reviews

  • Fun8.0
  • Interaction8.0
  • Replayability8.0
  • Uniqueness10.0
  • Looks10.0
  • Accessibility6.0
Read the reviews and rate it

Rules questions

Answered from the rulebook by Ludoya's rules assistant.

Which double page is active on my turn — can I keep the same spread as last turn?

You must change the active double page to a different spread each turn (except your very first turn), and you may not have the same active spread two turns in a row (the golden rule). (page 9)

How do I progress a page — do I have to remove Research tokens and what happens when I do?

To progress a page you must return the Research token(s) specified by the page's progress condition (if multiple tokens are required they must come from different zones), gain the Overall Knowledge shown, then rotate or flip the card as the arrow indicates and return it to the sleeve; you may progress pages before and/or after performing actions and as many times as you can fulfill the conditions. (pages 10–11)

If I place a Water drop where there is already one on a plant root, what happens?

If you place a Water drop on a root tip that already has one, your Water drop immediately moves along the arrows to the next empty space and gains the reward on the space it lands on (only one Water drop may occupy each root tip). (page 13)

When I must share Knowledge and place Puzzle pieces, where can I put them and how do I pick the piece?

For each Knowledge sharing token you return you take a matching-type Puzzle piece and must place it orthogonally adjacent to an existing placed piece, taking the piece with the letter that matches the space and flipping it so the letter is hidden; after placing pieces you may move one of your Research tokens onto one of the pieces you just added. (page 22)

When an action lets me add a token, where can I take that token from — my supply or the board?

Tokens are limited: when you add a token you may take it from your supply or from a different section of the main board, but not from the same section you are placing into, and if an action is triggered by placing a token you cannot remove that exact token to pay the cost — you must use a different token of the same type. (page 12)

Do I get a Knowledge sharing token when my Overall Knowledge marker hits a breakthrough?

No — only the colored Knowledge tracks (Botany, Astrology, Baths, Writing) give Knowledge sharing tokens when you reach or pass their breakthrough icons; nothing happens when your Overall Knowledge marker reaches a breakthrough. (page 12)

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Score sheets and play helpers

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Game facts (players, playing time, age, credits) from BoardGameGeek.