In the Divine Comedy, the poet Dante Alighieri enters Hell in search of his beloved Beatrice. Guided by Virgil, he descends through the nine circles, witnessing how each sinner is eternally punished in a manner as horrifying as the sin they committed in life.
Inferno is a worker placement/ soul management game where each player must guide sinners to their respective circles in Hell. The central board consists of two parts: one displaying all 9 circles and the soul registry, while the other represents Florence in the early 14th century, where Dante lived, with its power games and palace intrigues.
Each turn consists of two phases:
- Inferno Phase: The player advances a soul through Hell, earning Infamy Points if they successfully guide it to its corresponding circle.
-
Florence Phase: The player must choose between:
- Playing an action at a city location (adopting a street urchin, building a new level of the family tower, or inviting home an illustrious character, among others).
- Exposing a sinner, who is executed, and their soul is led to Hell. By doing so, the player advances on the Hell registry, which keeps track of everyone’s supplied souls.
With each death, Dante takes a step closer to his descent. When he reaches the gate that will lead him to Purgatory, the game ends.
The player with the most Infamy Points is declared the winner and deemed untrustworthy.
