Bohemians
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Paris, 1900. You have a brilliant idea, an unattainable muse, and perhaps syphilis. Creation is survival.
What it's about
Plan your artist's day — and survive the consequences
You are an artist in late 19th-century Paris. You have habits, desires, and some vices you shouldn't indulge in. Every day is planned and recounted: a morning spent in the studio, an afternoon chasing your muse, an evening socializing in cafes — or working, because inspiration doesn't pay the rent.
Bohemians is a deckbuilder designed by Jasper de Lange and published by Portal Games, where every card is a habit, an encounter, or a goal. Cards combine in a daily sequence: touching symbols generate Inspiration, the currency you use to buy new cards and build your unique creative style.
The prototype won an award and received three nominations at Fastaval, Denmark's most important convention for board games and role-playing games — recognition for its original design and presentation quality.
What they say abroad
"Bohemians is a wonder of marrying setting and mechanics."
A successful work of fusing setting and mechanics.
— Meeple Mountain
"Bohemians is a beautiful game on the lighter end of their range."
A splendid game, on the more accessible side of the Portal Games catalog.
— The Opinionated Gamers
Bohemians
Variant with replacement adversity cards and dedicated scenarios. Complete experience even alone — the day's narrative takes on a more meditative form.
FrogScore · FroGames editorial rating · based on rules, international reviews and play sessionsThe four souls of the deck
The card types that build your artist's life
Habit Cards
The heart of the deck. Each habit represents something you usually do: work, create, socialize. They combine in sequence — touching symbols give Inspiration.
Muse Cards
Muses stand alongside habits, empowering them. They don't take up space in the day — they amplify the underlying habit. Finding the right muse changes everything.
Objective Cards
These are victory points. They don't clutter the deck — they remain separate and offer continuous bonuses. Reaching the required number ends the game. The player with the most wins.
Adversity Cards
The price of living as an artist. Opium addiction, paralyzing perfectionism, various illnesses. They arrive when you dedicate the day to art — risk is part of the game.
Today you plan your day. Tomorrow you tell of that time you contracted syphilis for an Objective.
🎲Components165 cards · tiles · tokens
🃏Recommended Sleeves1 format · 166 cards total
📖RulebookEnglish · Official PDF
A game in five acts
What happens at the table
Not the rules. The experience.
You plan your day, in silence
You have five cards in hand. You look at them, move them around, rethink them. Each player plans simultaneously—no one knows yet what the others will do. Choose whether to go to work or dedicate yourself to art. If you choose art, you take an Adversity. Hopefully it's not syphilis.
You recount what you've done
In turn order, each player reveals their day and tells the story. "This morning I locked myself in the studio, then I met my muse at the cafe..." Symbols connect, Inspiration strikes. The table transforms into a literary salon with someone laughing at someone else.
You spend inspiration — and choices become interesting
Better habits, more powerful muses, or Objectives that bring you closer to victory? The market changes every turn—that perfect card for your combo might disappear. Someone else will take it. Indecision has a price.
The combo no one expected
There are days when everything falls into place—Habit after Habit, each symbol touching the next, the muse multiplying everything. In those moments someone stops talking and stares at the table. Then they count the Inspiration and smile. This is the moment for which Bohemians is played.
Someone achieves fame. Others postpone
When a player accumulates the necessary Objectives, the round is completed. The game ends. We don't talk about the final score—we talk about that day when someone had an opium addiction but still won the most important Objective.
How to play
The flow of each day
Four phases, simultaneous where possible. You learn in ten minutes, you master over several games.
Draw cards until you have five in hand (muses and adversities don't count towards the limit). Simultaneously plan your day on the board—each time slot receives a habit or the work token.
In turn order, reveal your day and narrate it. Adjacent symbols between habits generate Inspiration. Muses amplify the underlying habit. The more you connect, the more you get.
With the Inspiration earned, buy new cards: better Habits, Muses that boost combos, Objectives that bring you closer to victory. Unspent Inspiration points become Atelier currency.
Tidy up the tableau, check if anyone has reached the required number of Objectives—five in 2-3 players, four in 4 players. If so, the round completes and the game ends.
Why it's different from other deckbuilders
Six mechanics that make the difference
Sequential programming, not just purchasing
It's not enough to have good cards—you have to place them in the right order. Symbols on the edges must touch to generate Inspiration. Deck building and day planning are two distinct and dependent puzzles.
Narration is mechanical, not optional
Narrating your day is an integral part of the turn. It's not flavour text—it's how the game explains itself. Every game generates memorable stories that are recounted away from the table.
Adversities hurt but tell a story
Opium, syphilis, paralyzing perfectionism. Adversities are not neutral punishments—they have names, personalities, and narrative meaning. Making life difficult for the artist is part of the game's charm.
Objectives don't clutter the deck
Unlike many deckbuilders, Objective cards remain separate. They don't dilute the quality of the deck—they offer continuous bonuses as fame accumulates. No "cursed winning."
The Atelier as an alternative currency
Unspent Inspiration becomes Atelier points to activate special actions: draw more, ignore an adversity, clear the market, discard useless cards. A strategic safety valve.
Fastaval Award—designed to last
The prototype won the Best Game award at Fastaval 2024. Portal Games—creators of Robinson Crusoe and Neuroshima Hex—chose it for a reason. Bohemians is a game built to stay.
How it ends
Achieving fame—or remaining obscure
It's not enough to survive Adversities—you need to build enough Objectives to go down in history. Fame is earned day by day.
Victory
- Be the first to reach the required number of Objectives (5 with 2-3 players, 4 with 4 players)
- The round completes—all other players finish their turn
- In case of a tie, the Atelier score is used as a tiebreaker
Defeat
- Not having reached enough Objectives by the end of the game
- Accumulated Adversities slowed progress for too long
- There is no in-game elimination—you always play until the end
Bohemians is one of those games where you lose track of the score because you're too busy recounting what happened today. This is its greatest merit.
Frequently asked questions
Bohemians FAQ
How does it differ from other deckbuilders like Dominion?
The key difference is sequential programming: it's not enough to buy good cards, you have to place them in order during the day so that the symbols touch and generate Inspiration. In Dominion you buy and play; in Bohemians you plan, narrate, and build combos. Add in thematic Adversities and mandatory narration—it's a very different experience.
Is the narrative part mandatory or can it be skipped?
Technically, you can play without narrating and the game functions mechanically. But it would be like watching a silent movie without a soundtrack—it works, but it's not what it was designed for. Narration is where Bohemians becomes memorable. With the right group, it's the game's strong point.
How many players does it work best with?
With 3-4 players, market competition is more intense and narrations intertwine more vividly. With 2 players, it's more tactical and direct. The solo mode offers a complete experience with dedicated scenarios—ideal for those who want to explore the mechanics before bringing the game to the table.
Is it suitable for casual gamers?
Yes, with a small caveat: the rules are simple (they can be explained in 15 minutes), but the first game requires getting used to sequential planning. The second game is much smoother. The Opinionated Gamers describes it as accessible to beginners, yet able to satisfy experienced players who want to optimize combos.
Is the adult theme of the Adversities a problem?
The recommended minimum age is 14, and the advice is appropriate. References to opium, syphilis, and other "vices of bohemian life" are treated with irony and lightness, not graphically—but they are part of the experience. Those looking for a family-friendly deckbuilder can look elsewhere; those who appreciate adult humor will find this a strength.
Is it available in Italian?
This is the English edition. The texts on the cards are in English, but the mechanics are simple and visual enough to be understandable even with basic language knowledge. The official English rulebook is available for free in PDF.
Bohemians is a deck-building board game for 1–4 players (ages 14+, duration 45–60 min). Designed by Jasper de Lange, published by Portal Games. Main mechanics: deck construction, action programming, card management. Set in late 19th-century Paris, each round simulates a day in the life of a bohemian artist amidst inspiration, muses, and adversities. Players simultaneously plan their day by sequentially placing Habit cards—adjacent symbols generate Inspiration which can be spent to acquire new cards and build Objectives. The prototype won Best Game at Fastaval 2024. Official solo mode included with dedicated scenarios. English edition. Available on FroGames.it.
Bohemians
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