Who goes first in Scythe?
Stonemaier Games English rulebook, 2015
The player whose Player Mat has the lowest number on its label goes first. Player Mats are dealt randomly during setup.
Rule details
Play proceeds clockwise from the starting player.
Faction Mats and Player Mats are shuffled and one of each is dealt to every player; the Rusviet/Industrial and Crimea/Patriotic combinations are banned and redrawn.
The designer notes that higher-numbered Player Mats have slightly better starting track positions to offset the likely extra turn for the first player.
Source & edition
- Scythe: English rulebookStonemaier Games · Page 6, Faction Selection; page 8, Setup continued: Starting Player and Designer’s Note; page 2 quick-reference step 18; copyright on the back page · Checked 2026-09-25Printed page references: 2, 6, 8Cited PDF pages: 2, 6, 8, 32
Image: © Stonemaier Games (publisher); Jakub Różalski (credited artist) · Stonemaier Games
If your rules call for a random choice, use the player picker.
If there’s a tie
The rulebook doesn’t say. If you need a tie-break, pick a player at random.
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