Last modified December 5, 2025 by Jarjar

Overview
From the creator of the excellent game Anachrony, Thebes This game plunges us into the mythological antiquity of Thebes (Thebai in Greek), just after the death of Oedipus. You play as a noble house seeking to restore the splendor of the Cadmeian citadel while defending the city's seven gates against invaders. The game combines tile-laying to rebuild the city with a worker placement mechanic using dice, which are not rolled but upgraded as the game progresses. You must also gain the favor of two gods (progression tracks), recruit and promote hoplites (your military force represented by black dice), participate in battles at the various gates, and fulfill contracts, all within ten rounds.
Right here : We open the box

WHO IS OEDIPUS?
Oedipus is at the heart of a myth marked by a tragedy foretold. Before abandoning their son on Mount Cithaeron, Jocasta and Laius had learned from the Oracle of Delphi a prophecy with far-reaching consequences: their child would kill his father, King Laius, and marry his mother, Jocasta. The infant was then abandoned, his feet bound, hence the origin of his name.
The infant is eventually rescued by a shepherd, then adopted and raised by King Polybus and Queen Merope of Corinth. Oedipus was abandoned in an attempt to escape the prophecy, which, ironically, will contribute to its fulfillment.

My first impressions
This game wasn't a hit with everyone in our group, much to my surprise! It's a "crunchy" game that requires a good deal of thought, as several options are presented on each turn. However, this type of game usually goes down well with our group. Personally, I enjoyed it: I found it original, with many often agonizing decisions, which can lead to a fairly prolonged analysis paralysis when you're trying to find the most profitable combinations. Every decision challenges you. It's possible to plan while waiting for your turn, but since the options change during other players' turns, this planning is often disrupted. The wooden tiles are very pleasant to handle, and at the end of the game, with the dice, it makes for a very attractive visual!

Thebai is a game with a well-integrated mythological and historical theme (Thebes, the gods, the reconstruction of the Cadmea), as one can feel the Greek tragedy and the importance of the players' decisions on the fate of the city. This, too, is a point of contention within the group, while others consider it more abstract.

One aspect I really enjoyed was the mechanic of the dice, which act as workers. The dice aren't rolled, but can be upgraded throughout the game. They can be freely placed on two different boards, and depending on where they're placed, the movement of opposing pieces (the archons) can advance them, adding a significant layer of strategic planning: where to place them while anticipating the movements of opposing archons, which row to optimize their use, or when to increase their strength to quickly access a commander. The game also encourages numerous, mostly indirect, interactions between players, particularly during the defense of gates, city construction, or the movement of archons.

Yes, we have to defend the city, and we tend to focus on that, but the biggest points seem to come from contracts. Strategists appear to be a unique strategy: you sacrifice points (the dice remaining in play at the end of the game are each worth 1 to 3 points) by replacing them with strategists, who are more powerful in combat. The player who places the first strategist on a row unlocks a commander with a special power. Although I haven't really explored this approach in my games, the player who made the most of it clearly dominated the three-player game.

Having to simultaneously manage the city's reconstruction, battles at the gates, divine favor, and the economy makes for a very fast-paced game that demands constant attention. For some, this is a stimulating challenge; for others, it can quickly become overwhelming, even leading to excessively long wait times between turns. All of this makes it a game that's not very accessible to beginners. Our first game lasted about two hours, and I've read several reviews mentioning sessions exceeding three hours.

I'm glad to see that some people understand the choices I'm trying to impose on them. Honestly, I try to offer the same difficult decisions in all my games, but it's usually external factors—the "cool" factor, hype, and other decisions related to the components or theme—that determine whether enough players will give a game a chance for its qualities to be "widely recognized."
The author on BGGDavid Turczi

SOLO MODE

The game includes specific components for solo mode. The automaton is easy to control and doesn't take too long. On its turn, it plays two cards with symbols that indicate the actions it will take. At first, you have to figure out the meaning of the symbols, but the further you progress, the more automatic it becomes. Solo mode offers a very good challenge with several ways to increase the difficulty.

MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF NOVEMBER 24

A two-player game with my friend Jeff went very smoothly, finishing in 1 hour and 35 minutes. We opted for two completely different strategies. Jeff focused on building the city and the associated bonuses from monuments. He cleared an entire row of his buildings early in the game, freeing up some very useful actions. Meanwhile, I went after two generals, three gates, and completed several contracts. Despite these contrasting approaches, we finished with the same score: 91! Wow, what a great balancing act by the designer!

RULE POINT
When placing a Hoplite (black die), it does not need to touch a Cadmea tile.

TECHNICAL SHEET
Number of games played: 4 (solo, 2 and 3 players)
Best player configuration: 3
Price paid: $81 CAN (French version)
Level: experienced player (BGG complexity: 3.45/5)
My best score: 91

MY FIRST IMPRESSIONS
I loved :
>> Lots of pretty, colorful dice
>> The dice upgrade mechanic is deep and quite original
>> Good interaction, even if it's more indirect
>> Every small move requires careful consideration
>> Lots of choices for just 10 spins
>> Wooden tiles, very pleasant to handle
>> Excellent replayability with all these possible tiles and contracts

I liked less:
>> The graphic design and colors (especially the tracks) are not really appealing.
>> The star on the dice is not very visible
>> You shouldn't play with players who analyze absolutely everything, otherwise the game will drag on forever.
>> No tie-breaker, the author and publisher did not want to determine one.

Thebai is a clever and challenging game that demands careful thought. It features original mechanics. The designer must have put in a tremendous effort to balance everything. Each game allows players to learn and test different approaches. The game skillfully blends economics, war, and religion in an interesting mythological universe that stands apart from other games exploring this theme.

FUN FACTOR 🙂 🙂 🙂