Cyclades: Titans Expansion: What It Adds and How to Play
By Asmodee – Asmodee USA | Published: 2026-11-03
Category: Guias Práticos
Learn what the Cyclades: Titans expansion adds, how its two-island board and team mode change the game, and follow a clear setup and play sequence.
Quick answer
Play Cyclades: Titans by setting up the expansion's two-island board, choosing standard or team mode, then running each round through the familiar Cyclades phases while adding Kronos, Titans, and divine artifacts. Treat the new board as the main stage and learn the artifact timing before your first game.
What the Titans expansion changes at the table
Titans is not a small add-on: it replaces the base game's map with a new board built around two large neighboring islands where six great cities fight for supremacy. That tighter geography makes every move toward a city more consequential, so players who know the base game will feel the pace sharpen.
The expansion also introduces a team play mode and divine artifacts such as Zeus's lightning bolt. Kronos, father of Zeus, joins the battle with the fearsome horde of Titans. These additions give you new reasons to coordinate with a partner and new one-time effects to track.
Decide standard or team mode before setup
The new team play mode is the biggest structural change, and it works best when everyone at the table agrees to it before any pieces are placed. In team mode, plan your city claims and artifact use around your partner's position rather than treating the board as a free-for-all.
If your group is still learning the base game, start with the standard mode first. The two-island board and Kronos already add enough decision pressure without also asking players to coordinate as teams.
Artifacts reward timing, not hoarding
Divine artifacts like Zeus's lightning bolt are powerful because they break the normal rhythm of a round. Holding one too long often wastes it, since the board state can shift before your next turn. Use artifacts when they secure a city, protect a key island position, or deny an opponent a critical move.
Because the expansion supplies only a limited description of each artifact's effect, read the artifact cards or tiles in your copy before play and agree on any timing questions at the table. Do not assume an artifact works like a base-game power.
How to set up and play Cyclades: Titans
- Choose your mode and player count: Decide whether you are playing standard or team mode before opening the board. Team mode is the expansion's signature addition, but it works best with an even number of players who are ready to coordinate. If anyone is new to Cyclades, play standard mode first.
- Build the two-island board: Use the expansion's new board rather than the base game map. It places two large neighboring islands and six great cities at the center of play, so check that all city spaces and island boundaries match the rulebook diagram. A misplaced city or island tile can distort the whole game; verify the board before placing figures.
- Place starting pieces and prepare Kronos and Titans: Set up each player's starting forces according to the expansion rules, then put the Kronos and Titan pieces within reach. Keep them separate from normal troops so no one confuses them during play. Sort Titan and Kronos pieces into their own tray or pile before the first round.
- Lay out the artifact supply: Separate the divine artifact tiles or cards, including Zeus's lightning bolt, and place them where all players can read them. Read each artifact's text aloud once so everyone knows what is available. If an artifact's timing is unclear, agree on an interpretation before the first bid.
- Run each round in the usual Cyclades order: Follow the base game's round sequence—bidding for gods, taking actions, moving and fighting—while adding the expansion's Kronos and Titan rules where the rulebook directs. Do not skip the bidding phase; it remains the core of your economy. Announce each phase aloud in the first game to keep the table synchronized.
- Use artifacts at the decisive moment: Play an artifact when it changes a city claim, blocks an opponent's key move, or protects your island position. Avoid spending artifacts early just because you have them. Before playing an artifact, ask what board state it changes; if the answer is nothing, hold it.
- In team mode, coordinate before acting: Share intentions with your partner during the bidding and action phases, and divide responsibilities: one player pressures a city while the other secures sea routes or artifacts. Do not both commit to the same target unless you are setting up a combined attack. At the end of each round, agree on your team's next city target before the next bid.
Product facts
- Cyclades: Titans Expansion: The expansion includes a new game board with two large neighboring islands and six great cities, plus a new team play mode. You will set up a different map than the base game, so plan for a tighter, more direct fight over cities.
Cyclades: Titans Expansion - Cyclades: Titans Expansion: Kronos joins the battle with the fearsome horde of Titans, and divine artifacts such as Zeus's lightning bolt are part of the expansion. Expect new threats and one-time effects that change how you value each round's actions.
