Diables - with Stretch Goals unlocked during the campaign
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You send the wrong devil into the street and that firecracker doesn't go off at the right time. The crowd turns. Your opponent smiles. In half an hour, you'll understand that everything is decided in seconds.
WHAT IT'S ABOUT
Fire, rhythm and crowds in the Catalan streets
Diables by Dani Garcia (illustrated by Amelia Sales and Dossom Studio) brings a spectacular Mediterranean tradition back to the table: the Ball de Diables, nocturnal parades where artists dressed as demons dance among firecrackers, torches and fireworks. It's not postcard folklore: it's coordination, tight timings and a crowd that changes mood if you get the timing wrong.
Manage a colla (troupe) of performers: send your devils into the street to set off fireworks, engage the crowd and build the perfect parade. Each worker is different, each card does three things, and time is always running. Three rounds, four phases each, and in the end, whoever best read the street wins.
What they say abroad
Diables promises to translate a visceral ritual into tight tactical decisions. The tension is all in the timing: every turn time advances, and whoever placed the right performers at the right times gains prestige. Those who hesitated find empty streets.
— FroGames
"A game where timing, resource management, and positioning define the most unforgettable performances."
A game where timing, resource management, and positioning define the most unforgettable performances.
— Salt & Pepper Games
Diables
The game supports solo play with dedicated rules: you use a simplified automa that occupies streets and draws cards according to a bot deck. The experience remains complete because the tension arises from time and resources, not direct interaction. Only the competition for turn order and some tactical insights into other players' moves are lost.
FrogScore · FroGames editorial rating · first read: based on rules and official presentation, updated with first playsWhat you have in hand
Four elements you orchestrate each round
Typed Performers
They are not all the same: you have acrobats, musicians, torchbearers. Each unlocks different actions and moves according to its own rules. Choosing who to send where is half the game.
Fireworks
Firecrackers, fountains, pyrotechnic castles: you place them in the streets to accumulate prestige. But you need to coordinate them with the right moment, otherwise they explode when the crowd has already moved on.
Crowd Cards
Each street has a different crowd, and it changes each phase. The cards tell you what people want to see: if you read them well, you accumulate points. If you ignore the crowd, you accumulate nothing.
Time Marker
Advances each round and triggers intermediate scorings. You can't stop it, only predict when it will tick. Whoever built well before the click wins the round. The others watch.
Before playing
The official rules
Diables is an English edition. The rules are clear and full of illustrated examples: you can consult or download them even before opening the box.
Download the rules (English) ↗Come si gioca
Video dimostrativo di gameplay.
🎲How to PlayThe rules in four steps▼
How to Play
The Flow of Each Round
Three rounds identical in structure, vastly different in pressure. Each round has four phases that follow one another without pause.
In turn, you send your performers into the streets: choose an action (place fireworks, draw cards, engage crowds) and occupy a space. Whoever arrives first chooses better. Whoever arrives later adapts or changes route.
The time marker advances one step. If it reaches a scoring space, points are immediately counted based on fireworks placed and crowds engaged. Then the carts are refilled with new fireworks.
Crowd cards move along the streets (some leave the board), and all performers return to the players' boards. The parade continues, opportunities change.
New crowd cards are drawn and added to the streets. Now you know what people want to see in the next round: use this information or prepare to score nothing.
⏱️Your First GameMoment-by-moment chronicle▼
A game in five moments
What happens at the table
Not the rules. The experience.
Setup and First Read
Set up the streets, draw the first crowd cards, fill the carts with fireworks. Everyone looks at the board trying to figure out where the crowd will be in turn 3. Someone is already running mental scenarios. Someone else asks if they can change strategy halfway through.
First Round: Everyone Cautious
You send in the basic performers, take some firecrackers, place a firework where it seems safe. No one takes risks because the pressure of time hasn't built yet. At the end of the round, you discover your opponent has already engaged half the crowd, and you're still preparing your torch.
Second Round: Streets Get Crowded
Now time is running, and the crowd cards are changing. That firecracker you were supposed to place was two turns ago, and now the street is occupied. You try to catch up by sending in your best acrobat, but someone blocks your space. Polite swearing begins.
Mid-Game Scoring: The Moment of Truth
The time marker ticks, points are counted. Those who read the crowd well score 15-20 points at once. Those who procrastinated get 3. Someone at the table says, "Oh, so that's how it worked." Yes, that's how it worked.
Third Round: Win or Lose
Last round, everything at stake. You send your best performers, place the most expensive fireworks, engage the crowd in the last available spaces. Time runs out, the final scoring hits. One player wins by 8 points. The other asks if they can replay turn 6. No, they can't.
🐸Good to Know BeforehandThree honest things, from friends▼
Good to Know Beforehand
Three Things You Must Accept
Visible Learning Curve
The first game is spent figuring out when to do what. The specialized workers, multi-use cards, and scoring timing create a complexity that only emerges through play. Expect to finish your first game thinking, "Ah, so I should have..."
Variable and Realistic Duration
The 45-120 minute range is honest: with 2 experienced players, you'll be under an hour; with 4, including setup and explanations, you'll easily reach 2 hours. It's not a filler, it's not a gateway. It's a mid-weight game that demands time and concentration.
Indirect but Decisive Interaction
You don't attack anyone, you don't steal resources, you don't block actions. But you occupy spaces others wanted, take cards before they get to them, and influence the pace of time. If you're looking for direct confrontation, look elsewhere.
🏆Victory and DefeatWhat the ending rewards▼
How it Ends
How to Win and How to Finish
At the end of the third round, final scores are tallied. Whoever has the most prestige wins. There are no eliminations: everyone reaches the end, but some arrive with 80 points and some with 35.
Victory
- You placed the right fireworks at the right times: each intermediate scoring gave you full points
- You read the crowd cards well and engaged the most profitable streets when they were full
- You managed specialized performers by using their special abilities in key turns
Defeat (or rather: last place)
- You procrastinated too much, and when you placed the fireworks, the crowd had already moved
- You ignored the crowd cards and made generic moves instead of reading what the street wanted
- You sent the wrong performers at the wrong time and wasted entire turns
Diables promises to bring to the table a very rare theme and a timing-based tension that is unforgiving. If you're looking for a eurogame that requires reading the board instead of grinding resources, this is the right parade.
💬Frequently Asked QuestionsQuick answers before checkout▼
Frequently Asked Questions
Diables FAQ
What mechanics does Diables use?
Worker placement with specialized workers (each performer has different abilities), multi-use cards (each crowd and firework card offers multiple choices), track movement (crowds advance along the streets), and income (carts are refilled with new fireworks each phase). The core is timing: the time marker advances and triggers intermediate scoring, so you need to anticipate when they will activate.
Is it suitable for those unfamiliar with medium-heavy eurogames?
No. The declared weight is 3/5 on BGG, but the combination of specialized workers, multi-use cards, and timed scoring requires experience with structured eurogames. If the table knows Brass, Concordia, or Agricola, it's fine. If the heaviest eurogame you've played is Ticket to Ride, wait.
How does it scale with 2, 3, or 4 players?
The game is designed for 1-4 players and scales with setup rules (number of available spaces, crowd cards in play). With 2 players, it's more tactical and faster (under an hour); with 4, competition for spaces increases, as does downtime. The solo mode has a dedicated automa that simulates an opponent: it works well because the tension is in the timing, not direct interaction.
How long does a game really last?
With 2 players who already know the rules: 45-60 minutes. With 4, including explanation and setup: easily 90-120 minutes. The variability is real: turns aren't very long, but decisions are. If you're in a hurry or the table loses focus after an hour, it's better to play with 2.
Is it available in Italian?
This edition is in English. Components include cards with text (crowd cards, events) and the rulebook. A good understanding of written English is needed to play independently, or someone at the table to translate during the game.
Diables is a eurogame by Dani Garcia for 1-4 players (ages 14+, duration 45-120 minutes) set in the Ball de Diables, a Catalan tradition of pyrotechnic parades. The game uses worker placement with specialized workers, multi-use cards, and a timed scoring system: send performers into the streets to place fireworks, engage the crowd, and accumulate prestige. Three rounds, four phases each, and increasing tension as time advances. Published by Salt & Pepper Games (2026), medium-heavy weight (3/5). Available on FroGames.it.
Diables - with Stretch Goals unlocked during the campaign
Frequently Asked Questions
The answers you're looking for, no beating around the bush.
📸Do the images match the actual product?
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📦Does the content of the box match what is indicated?
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