Players begin with a supply of gates and keys and move clockwise on concentric paths connected at certain points via gateways. If someone has blocked a gateway by placing a gate across it, you need one or more keys to open it, then that gate becomes yours. You can gain more keys by moving away from the center or landing on another player. First player to reach the center wins.
When there are three or more players, two may negotiate a contract specifying how many gates will be placed during the current turn and where. A player involved in a contract receives a key for each gate he places as part of that contract.
Rupicola doesn't include trivia questions, but the spaces on the board are color-coded to allow players to incorporate trivia cards from Trivial Pursuit: Genus Edition (or any other question-and-answer set) into the game. Playing time (average 10 minutes for two players up to 60 minutes for six) can last up twice as long when playing with trivia.