Lisboa is a game about the reconstruction of Lisboa after the great earthquake of 1755.

On November 1, 1755, Lisbon was struck by an earthquake with an estimated magnitude of 8.5-9.0, followed by a tsunami and three days of fires. The city was almost completely destroyed. The Marquis of Pombal - Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo - was the then Minister of Foreign Affairs and the King put him in charge of rebuilding Lisbon. The Marquis of Pombal assembled a team of engineers and architects and you, the players, are members of the nobility; members who will use your influence in the reconstruction and business development of the new city. You work with the architects to rebuild Lisbon, with the Marquis to develop trade and with the King to open all the buildings, but the real reason you do all this is not for grandeur or fame or even fortune, but for the most important thing at that time: wigs.

Lisboa is played on a map of central Lisbon. When planning the downtown project, it was determined in advance what type of business is allowed on each street. The economic engine is powered by the wealth of the royal treasure and this treasure is controlled by player actions during the game, making each game a completely different experience. The game ends after a fixed number of rounds and whoever has collected the most wigs at the end of the game wins.

Lisboa is played in rounds. Each round, all players play one turn. They may place one card on their display or replace one card from this display. During the game, players schedule hearings to gain character favors such as trading, construction, and openings. Players must manage influence, building permits, shop permits, church power, workers, and money, with the cost of workers depending on the players' prestige.