Hippocrates, you travel back to Greece in 371 BCE on the island of Kos. Hippocrates is growing old, and knows he cannot continue his medical practice forever.
Hoping to be one of his successors, you lead a team of doctors with the goal of perpetuating the treatment of patients in the temple of Asclepios, later known as the first hospital in history.
To be a worthy successor to Hippocrates, you’ll need to work efficiently and increase your reputation, so that patients from all around the Mediterranean will come to you with the hope of receiving the best treatment ever.
Hippocrates combines tactical positioning, tile placement, resource management, and more to create an exciting mix that will challenge each player to best manage their patients and try to become Hippocrates’ worthy successor.
The game lasts four rounds, with each round divided into five phases:
1. Erosthe (Welcome)— Each player welcomes up to three patients in their hospital. You need to select your patients carefully as all patients need urgent help, and some may be easier to treat than others, but make sure to help the most in need or you will lose reputation as a doctor.
2. Misthodosia (Payment)— You have to remunerate your doctors or risk their departure.
3. Stelehosis (Recruitment) — In this phase, players try to hire new doctors and purchase medicine kits. If a player obtains both, they receive a knowledge bonus.
4. Therapeia (Treatment) — Now is the time to treat patients. Players have to carefully puzzle and link the right patients to the right doctors to maximize their value.
5. Vathmologesis (Score)— Players count victory and reputation points, and prepare the board for the next round.