Bireme & Galley covers naval combat from ancient times up until just before ships started mounting cannon (the subtitle is "Naval Warfare, Egypt to Lepanto"). The 99-page rulebook includes 31 pages describing the various kinds of warships in common use in ancient and medieval times (with many drawings), 12 pages of ship data tables, and the remainder the actual rules, notes on some historical naval campaigns, and a brief section on using the game with FGU's Chivalry & Sorcery RPG. While the game was designed for miniatures, 4 sheets of cut-apart ship counters were provided as a substitute. The game also included a ship record sheet (to be copied), a large sheet of deck plans (for man-to-man combat once ships grapple), and a turning template.