Bella Vista
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- Arrives
- January 13, 2027
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The FroGames card
You've found the perfect plot. Three parks in sight, residents who'll pay any price. Then she arrives, places a skyscraper in front of yours, and steals half your points. By the third time, you stop saying hello.
WHAT IT'S ABOUT
Vertical architecture and competition for the perfect skyline
Bruno Cathala (Kingdomino, 7 Wonders Duel) and Andrea Mainini (Calico) are the creators of a placement and auction game where every building counts for height and position. The illustrations by Cyrille Bertin and Léa Menard transform the board into a three-dimensional city that grows before your eyes, with buildings of eight different heights and green parks in the center of the neighborhood.
Every turn you have to choose: pay to play first, or save money and risk having your opponents steal the best plot? Build your eight buildings trying to offer the residents the widest view of the city's parks. Whoever has the most money at the end — after placing all the structures — wins the game. Auctions determine the turn order, heights determine who blocks whom, and money is both the price and the victory.
What they say abroad
"Cathala delivers another spatial puzzle wrapped in an auction game — elegant, tight, mean."
Cathala delivers another spatial puzzle wrapped in an auction game: elegant, tight, mean.
— Meeple Mountain
Every tower you place is a promise or a threat. It depends on where you put it.
— FroGames
Bella Vista
FrogScore · FroGames editorial review · based on rules, international reviews, and play sessionsThe architect's tools
What you build and how you use it
Eight buildings of increasing height
Each architect has buildings from 1 to 8 floors. Place one per turn, and the height determines who blocks whose view. The final skyscraper (the 8) is your weapon or your downfall.
The city parks
The board has fixed parks in the center. Each of your buildings earns points based on how many parks it sees without obstacles. If someone places a tall building in front of you, you lose the view and the points.
Money as a resource and score
You use money to win auctions and play first. But at the end of the game, the one who has the most wins: every coin spent is one less point. Deciding when to pay is the heart of the game.
City Hall Objectives
Objective cards reward those who satisfy certain building patterns (consecutive heights, specific areas). Completing them gives extra money, but reveals your intentions to your opponents.
Come si gioca
Video dimostrativo di gameplay.
🎲How to playThe rules in four steps▼
How to play
The flow of each round
Eight identical turns: an auction for turn order, then everyone places a building in sequence.
Everyone bids money simultaneously (or passes). The highest bidder plays first, the lowest bidder plays last. The money spent is gone forever: every coin paid is a point lost at the end of the game.
In auction order, each player places one of their eight buildings on the board. The height increases progressively: in the first turn you place the 1, in the eighth the 8. The position determines which parks you see and who you can block.
If you complete an objective (required building pattern), take the card and earn the indicated money. The objectives are visible to everyone: completing one means revealing where you are building.
Move on to the next turn. Eight turns in total, then the game ends. There are no intermediate phases, no maintenance: just auction, place, repeat.
⏱️Your first gameThe play-by-play, moment by moment▼
A game in five moments
What happens at the table
Not the rules. The experience.
The city is empty, the lots infinite
Looking at the board, it seems like you have all the options in the world. Every corner promises points, every park is reachable. Place the first building (the shortest, by rule) in a safe position, thinking you have time. Then you see where the others put theirs and realize you don't have time.
The first serious auction
Third turn, there's a lot that is worth its weight in gold: it sees three parks and no one can block it. But everyone else has seen it too. The auction to play first heats up, you pay double what you expected and win. Place the building, smile. Then you realize you've spent a quarter of the budget.
Someone blocks you
You're calculating the score of your 5-story building when your opponent places a 7 right in front of it. Half of your view disappears. The points you thought were guaranteed no longer exist. You look at the board, looking for where to get revenge. You find it.
The 8 building enters the game
Sixth turn, everyone still has the 8-story skyscraper in hand. Whoever places it first dominates the skyline, whoever waits risks having the others neutralize it. You decide to save, play late, place it in a safe corner. But the safe corner no longer exists.
Counting money and grudges
Last building placed, the city is complete. Now the visible parks are counted, the objectives are added up, and the remaining money is checked. The winner is the one who managed the budget best, not the one who built the highest. While counting the points, you're already thinking about where you would place the 8 in the rematch.
🐸Good to know beforeThree honest things, from friends▼
Good to know before
Three honest things
Money really runs out
You start with a limited budget and every auction takes a piece away. After three aggressive turns you might not have money to play first when it really matters. Those who don't know how to manage the budget always end up last in turn order and suffer the choices of others. It's not a game where you just spend: it's a game where every coin must be weighed.
Calculating views requires attention
Every building scores based on the parks it sees without obstruction. With 3-4 players and dozens of buildings on the board, calculating who blocks who becomes an exercise in geometry. It's not analysis paralysis, but if there's someone at the table who has to check everything three times, the turns get longer. The game is only fast if the players are fast.
Interaction is mean, not chaotic
Bella Vista doesn't attack you with cards or special effects: it ruins your plans by blocking your buildings. It's surgical meanness, and anyone sensitive to that type of interaction will feel it strongly. It's not a game where 'everyone does their own thing': it's a game where 50% of your moves are used to block others. If at the table you prefer everyone to build for themselves, this is not the right game.
🏆Victory and defeatWhat the end rewards▼
How it ends
How you win and how you lose
The game ends after eight turns, when everyone has placed their eight buildings. The remaining money is counted, and whoever has more wins.
Victory
- You have more money than your opponents at the end of the eighth turn (starting money + completed objectives + view points − money spent in auctions)
- You built buildings with a clear view of as many parks as possible, maximizing points without getting blocked
- You won the right auctions (the ones that mattered) and saved where you could wait
Defeat
- You spent too much in the early auctions and found yourself without money to play first in the decisive turns
- Opponents blocked your key buildings and you lost half of your view points
- You completed few or no objectives, losing easy money that would have made the difference
Bella Vista is a geometric duel where you win by reading the board better than the others and knowing when to pay to play first. Compact, mean, elegant.
💬Frequently asked questionsQuick answers before the cart▼
Frequently asked questions
FAQ on Bella Vista
What mechanics does Bella Vista use?
The game uses simultaneous auctions to determine turn order (turn order auction) and spatial placement with three-dimensional components (tile placement, 3D). The key mechanics are budget management (every coin spent is a point lost) and calculating lines of sight to maximize points. City Hall objectives add bonuses for specific building patterns.
Does it work well with two players?
Yes, in fact: with two players the game is faster and more tactical. Auctions become direct psychological duels, and calculating where the opponent will place the next building is more readable. The board fills up less, so there are more free spaces until the end, but also fewer buildings blocking each other. It's a different experience from 3-4 players, but very valid.
How much does turn order matter?
A lot. Whoever plays first chooses the best lot and can block others' buildings before they defend. Whoever plays last suffers all previous choices and often has to settle for fallback positions. This is why auctions are tense: deciding when it's worth paying to play first (and when to save) is the strategic heart of the game. In turns 6-7-8, when the tallest buildings are placed, playing first can be worth 10+ points.
Can it be played with children under 10?
The rules are accessible (auction, place, calculate view), but calculating scores requires spatial reasoning and the ability to plan over eight turns. Children aged 8-9 with experience in board games can play, but they might not grasp the strategic implications of auctions and risk spending everything right away. Under 8 years old it becomes frustrating. The recommended age of 10+ is spot on.
Is it available in Italian?
This edition is in English. The game has low language dependency: City Hall objectives have descriptive text, but once understood (or with an Italian reference), the game explains itself and can be played without problems. The rules in English are clear and the manual well illustrated.
The people behind the game
Who invented it, who designed it, who publishes it — and what else they have done.
Bella Vista is a strategy and auction game for 2-4 players aged 10 and up, with games of 30-45 minutes. Designed by Bruno Cathala and Andrea Mainini, published by Studio H, the game combines auctions for turn order with three-dimensional spatial placement: build eight buildings of increasing heights trying to offer the residents the best view of the city parks, blocking opponents' buildings and completing objectives to earn money. The winner is the one who manages the budget best and reads the board ahead. Available on FroGames.it.
Bella Vista
Frequently Asked Questions
The answers you're looking for, no beating around the bush.
📸Do the images match the actual product?
The photos on the website often come from BoardGameGeek and are intended to give you an idea of the game. They may vary slightly from the version you receive. The content declared by the publisher is always binding.
📦Does the content of the box match what is indicated?
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