Rules of Play
Box of The Battle of Versailles

Board game · 2024

The Battle of Versailles

"The Battle of Versailles" was a fashion show held in 1973 in Versailles, France that pitted five American designers against five French designers. The American designers, including Anne Klein, Halston, Oscar de la Renta, Steph…

Players
2
Duration
30 min
Age
14 and up
Complexity
Family

Eloi Pujadas · Ferran Renalias · Niza Gams · Salt & Pepper Games

View on BoardGameGeek Powered by BoardGameGeek

Start learning

Add to my shelf Sign in to add it to your shelf

Campaign / Battle Card Driven Take That Tug of War Card Game Industry / Manufacturing

Start here

Recommended videoThe Battle of Versailles 2 Player Board Game | Salt and Pepper Games | Overview & How to PlayFull rules

Your first game

The three moments to know before you start. Each step opens the video at the right spot.

  1. Set up Setup 03:35
  2. Play a turn Designer Action 10:29
  3. End the game Final thoughts 13:54

Videos to learn

All

Does this video explain the rules well? Vote with the arrows.

In brief

"The Battle of Versailles" was a fashion show held in 1973 in Versailles, France that pitted five American designers against five French designers. The American designers, including Anne Klein, Halston, Oscar de la Renta, Stephen Burrows, and Bill Blass, were considered to be more innovative and less traditional than the French designers: Yves Saint Laurent, Hubert de Givenchy, Emanuel Ungaro, Pierre Cardin, and Christian Dior. The American designers ended up winning the competition and solidifying their place in the fashion world. The event was widely covered in the media, and is considered a turning point in the history of fashion.

In the game The Battle of Versailles, players take the role of either the France or U.S. team, facing one another by playing action cards to show off their best dresses, to attract the most popular celebrities, or to annoy the opponent by spreading bad gossip. They also compete to contribute more than their opponent to the reconstruction of the palace of Versailles.

The French player has five actions per round, representing the classic but overly-long show (2h 30min) that it put on, while the American player has only three actions per round as their show was fresh, innovative, and short (only 37min). Correspondingly, the game has different victory conditions:

The French team tries to keep its prestige in the fashion industry, while the American team tries to steal the French prestige. Both teams fight to control the most influential celebrities in the fashion world. The Americans try to show off the best innovative features on their dresses. The French try to contribute as much as possible to the reconstruction of Versailles in order to raise their national pride in this beautiful palace.

—description from publisher

This summary is only available in English for now.

Summary from BoardGameGeek · View on BoardGameGeek

Contribute to this page

Add a resource, correct information or report a link. Every contribution is gathered here and reviewed before publication.

Suggest a videoReviewed before publication

An account is needed to suggest a change. Create an account

Correct the detailsReviewed before publication

An account is needed to suggest a change. Create an account

Suggest a correctionReviewed before publication

An account is needed to suggest a change. Create an account

Suggest rules or a player aidReviewed before publication

An account is needed to suggest a change. Create an account

A video is broken or doesn't match the right game?No account required

Artwork : BoardGameGeek

In the same spirit

Games that share its mechanics. Neither expansions nor other editions.

Watergate 2 players · 30 min 1 rules video Pook 2 to 4 players · 10 min No video yet 13 Days: The Cuban Missile Crisis 2 players · 45 min 4 rules videos