Bella Vista

Bella Vista is a light-to-medium city-building board game for 2–4 players, designed by Bruno Cathala and Andrea Mainini. Players compete as architects to construct a shared city using pre-built 3D buildings, combining clever auctions, height-based rewards, and ever-changing zoning rules into a tight, strategic experience.

Each round, you select a building card from your hand and bid coins to secure your place in turn order. Go early and claim the best spots — but spend too freely and you'll have nothing left to win with. Once placed, your building must comply with the current round's zoning restrictions, which shift constantly to keep you on your toes.

Income — and victory — comes from height. Place a building taller than its neighbours and collect coins for every adjacent structure you overlook, plus a bonus for being the tallest. Coins are points, so every auction bid and placement decision carries real weight. Race to complete public contract cards for extra income, and adapt your strategy to the randomised end-game scoring goals that keep every playthrough fresh.

The game ends once all eight of your buildings are constructed. The richest architect wins.

What's good?

• Clever height-based scoring means every placement decision has real consequences
• Auction mechanic creates genuine tension — spend too much and you lose ground
• Randomised end-game goals keep every game fresh
• Pre-built 3D buildings make setup quick and the table presence impressive

Who is it for?

• ✔ Fans of light-to-medium strategy with a spatial puzzle element
• ✔ Groups who enjoy auctions and area control in a compact playtime
• ✔ Players who want a visually striking game that plays in under an hour
• ✖ Not ideal for players who dislike open bidding or direct competition

What's in the box:

• 32 3D buildings
• 8 Neighbourhood Tiles
• 2 River Tiles
• 5 Park Tiles
• 54 Small Cards & 34 Big Cards
• 1 Offer Board
• 104 Tokens
• 1 Rulebook

Pair with: Skyrise Essentials Edition for another stunning 3D city builder, or explore our full Strategy Games collection.