In First Mention, players compete with their Bible knowledge. There are two game modes: Normal and Territorial.
In the normal mode, players advance on a track by drawing cards with characters or events from the Bible. By answering in which chapter of the Bible a character or event was first mentioned, and by explaining what they stand for, players advance on the game track. If a player gives a wrong answer, other can challenge them to make them return to from where they started. The first player to reach Paradise (i.e., the end of the track) wins the game.
In the Territorial mode, players attempt to occupy the locations on the board, each of which is connected to a section of the Bible. Answering correctly lets you place a banner on a location, but you can score points only if you are not driven out by another player. The player with the highest score wins.