Age of Comics: The Golden Years
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Manhattan, 1940. The best writers and artists are waiting for you. The newsstand is all that matters.
What it's about
Build Manhattan's most beloved publishing empire
We are in the Golden Age of Comics. Newsstand shelves are a battleground, readers are loyal and relentless, and you must convince them that your publishing house publishes the best stories in town.
In Age of Comics: The Golden Years by Giacomo Cimini and Sónia Goncalves, you have five rounds to become the most beloved publisher: recruit writers and artists, develop ideas, print comics across six genres — superhero, horror, romance, crime, sci-fi, western — and send your agents to conquer the best sales points in New York.
Worker placement here is never neutral: whoever places their editor first gets the best spot, whoever arrives later has to settle or change plans. The urgency is real, the catalog you build is yours — and in the end, the publishing house with the most fans wins everything.
What they say abroad
"Age of Comics expertly encapsulates the Golden Age of Comics. Its deep thematic integration bolsters the experience."
Age of Comics expertly encapsulates the Golden Age of Comics. Its deep thematic integration bolsters the experience.
— Geeks Under Grace
"Age of Comics is a remarkably thematic game, full of nods to the real-life history of comics. It leads with its theme, though it still has a solid game system underneath."
A remarkably thematic game, full of nods to the real-life history of comics. It leads with its theme, though it still has a solid game system underneath.
— Geeks Under Grace
Age of Comics: The Golden Years
Designed by Nestore Mangone, it offers an authentic challenge — managing an entire publishing house alone is as satisfying as facing human rivals.
FrogScore · FroGames editorial rating · based on rules, international reviews and game sessionsYour publishing studio
What you control each game
Writers and artists
Each creative has a value and a genre specialization. A horror artist on a romance comic loses power — casting matters.
24 original covers
Six genres, twenty-four unique comics illustrated by Laura Guglielmo. The catalog you build is visually different every game.
Manhattan newsstands
Map of sales points to conquer. Whoever occupies the best newsstands earns more fans — and fans are the currency that really matters.
Unlockable special actions
Print the second comic and exclusive bonuses open up: hype, creative upgrades, scooping the competition. The deep game emerges here.
At the end of the fifth round, one studio will have more fans than the others. Your name is already on the strips that matter.
📖RulebookEnglish · Official PDF (+ IT, FR, ES, DE, PT)
Watch it in action
How to play
A game in five moments
What happens on the table
Not the rules. The experience.
The talent market opens its doors
Round one. Everyone studies the creative market: who gets the four-star superhero artist? Who settles for less? Turn order is already a choice — and those who are late to hire the best pay for it in the third round.
The first comic rolls off the press
Someone prints the first comic. The token moves up the fan chart, the right newsstand is occupied. And everyone understands the leader's direction — and begins to plan how to counteract or imitate it.
Special actions change everything
Bonus actions unlock with the second comic published. Someone generates hype, someone updates creatives, someone releases the rival publisher's pirate comic. The game changes layers — and those who didn't think about it fall behind.
The fan ranking is overturned
End of round 4. The score is calculated. Those who thought they were ahead discover that their rival had two comics in the same genre and collect the majority bonus. Tension rises — the last round is a tight finish.
Five rounds, one winner, a catalog to remember
End of game. Fans are counted, the catalog is evaluated, final points are awarded. The best part? The table has original comics with real titles, real covers, and a story built together in 90 minutes.
How to play
The flow of each round
Six actions, four editors, five rounds. Learn in twenty minutes, master in three games.
Place an editor on the Hire action: take an artist and a writer from the market. Creatives specialized in the right genre are worth double — choose carefully.
The Develop action gives you access to available covers. Each comic has a genre and a base value — take it now or someone else will.
The Ideas and Royalties actions feed resources: idea tokens of the right color to print, money to pay creatives. Without these, the press stops.
Print the comic by paying creatives + 2 idea tokens of the right genre. Then send your Sales agent to conquer Manhattan's newsstands — the best positions make a difference at the end of the round.
Why it's different from others
Six mechanics that make a difference
Theme that integrates with the mechanism
It's not just a comic book skin on any eurogame. Every action truly tells what a publishing house does: hire, develop, print, sell. The context is always clear.
Worker placement with timing
You don't block opponents' actions — you get a worse version if you arrive late. This changes everything: you don't just plan where to go, but also when.
Strategic creative casting
A horror artist on a sci-fi comic loses power. Matching the right creative to the right genre is where strategy is built or broken.
The Manhattan map
Newsstands are not all equal. Placing your agent in the right place at the right time can turn the fan count around at the end of the round. Geography matters.
Progressive bonus actions
The more comics you print, the more actions you unlock: hype, creative upgrades, concept theft. The game builds on itself — the first two games are not the same experience as the fifth.
Authentic solo mode included
Nestore Mangone's solo mode is not an afterthought. Managing an entire publishing house alone is satisfying — and offers a measurable challenge in every game.
How it ends
Winning in Manhattan isn't easy
Fans accumulate round by round. It's not enough to publish a lot — you need to publish well, in the right genre, in the right places.
Victory
- At the end of the fifth round, whoever has the most victory points wins
- Points come from fans, genre majority bonuses, and completed objectives
- A fan chart updated every round tracks real-time rankings
How to lose
- Being late for key actions penalizes every round — the delay accumulates
- Publishing comics in the wrong genre for your creatives reduces fans gained
- Ignoring the Manhattan map means ceding the best sales points to rivals
Age of Comics: The Golden Years is one of the few worker placement games where the theme isn't a skin — it's the engine. For those who want strategy with a soul.
Frequently asked questions
FAQ about Age of Comics: The Golden Years
What distinguishes it from other worker placement games?
The timing mechanic: you don't block opponents' actions, but whoever arrives first gets the best version of that action. This completely changes how you plan your turn — not just where you place editors, but in what order. And the comic book theme isn't decorative: every action truly tells what a real publishing house does.
Is it really language independent?
Yes. The components have no relevant text — comic covers are illustrations, actions are identified by icons, tokens are visual. The rulebook is available in PDF on liriusgames.com in Italian, English, French, German, Spanish, and Portuguese. You can play with an Italian rulebook even with the English box.
Does it play well with two players?
Yes, the experience is solid even with two players. With fewer players, competition for spots is less intense, but the decision puzzle remains unchanged. With four players, the game is more aggressive regarding timing and newsstand occupation — ideal for those who enjoy constant pressure.
Is it suitable for casual players?
With table experience, yes, but it's designed for those already familiar with modern board games. The basic rules can be explained in 20 minutes, but the interactions between bonus actions and creative management require a few games to master. It's not a gateway game — it's a eurogame for regular players.
How long does a game actually last?
With two experienced players, it finishes in an hour. With four players playing for the first time, it easily reaches 120 minutes. Setup takes a few minutes — the board has a generous footprint. Once everyone knows the actions, the pace is fluid and turns flow smoothly.
Are there any expansions or premium components?
The base box already includes two mini-expansions and the solo mode. Lirius Games offers deluxe components separately — metal coins and enameled genre tokens — which improve ergonomics without changing the rules. They are not necessary for the full experience.
Age of Comics: The Golden Years is a worker placement board game for 1–4 players (ages 16+, duration 60–120 min). Designed by Giacomo Cimini and Sónia Goncalves, artwork by Laura Guglielmo, published by Lirius Games. Main mechanic: worker placement with differentiated timing. Players manage a publishing house during the Golden Age of American comics (1938–1956), hiring creatives, developing comics in six genres (superheroes, horror, romance, crime, sci-fi, western), and conquering Manhattan's newsstands to gain fans. Includes official solo mode by Nestore Mangone and two mini-expansions. English edition, language-independent components. Rulebook available in Italian on liriusgames.com. Available on FroGames.it.
Age of Comics: The Golden Years
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