As in the original Credo, in Credo!: The Game of the Early Church players compete to get their versions of the articles of the Nicene Creed voted in. There are numerous event cards which affect the proceedings. This edition makes some significant changes, among which are: The game can be played with up to eight players, although play mats for just six are provided. The alternate winning conditions (11 million flock or 117 council votes) have been eliminated. The game ends when the creed is complete or when the event deck is exhausted. The creed is divided into 13 articles instead of 10, and there are furthermore additional optional articles (designated X, Y, and Z) which the Emperor can choose to vote on at any time. (Consequently, players can have up to 12 articles on their mats instead of 9.) All flock cards have the same value.