Overview
At a glance
Is this game right for my group?
ABG editorial scores on a 1–5 scale.
Harder to teach
High replayability
Highly interactive
Scales well
Deep strategy
How it plays
How does it play?
Paris vaut bien une messe ! (Paris is worth a mass) covers two battles of the French Religion Wars, Dreux (1562) and Ivry (1590).
Core mechanisms
Key systems that shape the decisions players make.
Grid Movement
Move pieces between adjacent spaces on a regular grid.
Dice Rolling
Roll dice to introduce uncertainty into actions, production, movement, or resolution.
Hexagon Grid
Use a hexagonal map where each space connects evenly in six directions.
Line of Sight
Visibility between pieces determines valid targets, movement, or effects.
Simulation
Model a real or imagined system through detailed cause-and-effect rules.
Read the full game description
Paris vaut bien une messe ! (Paris is worth a mass) covers two battles of the French Religion Wars, Dreux (1562) and Ivry (1590). The game uses a slightly streamlined version of the rules used in Ben Hull's other game, This Accursed Civil War (which covered the English Civil War). These battles are somewhat smaller than in the GMT game, as befitting the smaller format offered by Vae Victis. Armies are divided into 3-5 "wings," each of which is given orders every turn (either "Charge," "March," or "Rally") and it is the giving and carrying-out of orders which drives the game. Wings are activated one at a time, alternating between players.