• 1 game board
• 5 player markers
• 5 player acclaim markers
• 72 fate cards
• 200 Question cards & Speech cards
• 138 tiles:
  • 40 scripts
  • 48 actors
  • 40 props/wardrobes
  • 10 patrons
• 2 6-sided dice
• game money
• rules booklet

As the role of an Elizabethan theatre entrepreneur trying to put on plays, the object is to acquire Shakespeare's scripts, form companies, and acquire props and large sums of money to enable these productions. Throughout the game, there are opportunities to earn money by answering questions on Shakespeare's plays (trivia) as well as reading short extracts of his plays (performance). There are also opportunities to trade, pick a fight with your rival, or flirt with a neighbor to persuade them to participate in future endeavors. Meanwhile, Fate cards are drawn to either help or hinder play, adding an interesting twist. The goal is to earn the most Acclaim Points by the end of the game (based on plays and assets).

The game was consulted for accuracy by Professor Peter Holland, ex-head of the Shakespeare Institute in Stratford- the leading center in the world for Shakespearean Studies. He is now a tenured Professor of English at Notre Dame in the US.

Shakespeare: The Bard Game is by Richard Heffer and Mike Siggins. Richard Heffer is a well known actor whose memorable performance of Hamlet at Oxford in the 1960's was highly acclaimed. He also starred in the TV drama "Colditz" and helped design the (famous) board game based on the series. Mike Siggins is a professional board game designer and games journalist.