In Alhambra, players acquire buildings to place within their own Alhambra complex.

Money in the game comes in four different currencies and is available in the open money market. The 54 buildings of six different types are offered in the building market four at a time, with each building priced in a different currency. On a player’s turn, one of three actions can be taken:

• take money from the open market,
• purchase a building and place it in the Alhambra or reserve, or
• carry out construction or reconstruction within the Alhambra.

The game rewards efficiency, because when a player buys a building for the exact amount of money, they may immediately take another turn.

Players score points during several scoring phases for having the most buildings of each type and for the longest continuous outer wall in their complex. When the building supply is exhausted and the market cannot be refilled, the game ends with a final scoring. The player with the highest total score wins.

Alhambra: Big Box (Second Edition) features completely new artwork and includes all 6 expansions and 2 Queenies, for a total of 26 different modules.