
- BGG rating
- 5.8
12 Patrols: Nano9games Wave 2 expansion
- 1 player
- 2024

2019
Rules assistance for 12 Patrols
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 1 player

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Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
12 Patrols is a board game released in 2019 for 1 player, 5–15 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Scott Allen Czysz and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Tile Placement, and Solo / Solitaire Game.
12 Patrols is a solo, mostly abstract strategy game played with 9 cards, 9 D6 dice, and 9 cubes. Play as the Constable of the kingdom. Send out 12 patrols of knights and footmen to protect all 9 regions. Game Overview Draw, then place region cards in a 3x3 grid. As a row or column of 3 cards is completed, add patrols (dice or cubes) between the cards that satisfy all the requirements in that row or column. Win by placing all 12 patrols satisfactorily. Set Up Roll all 9 dice. You may wish to arrange them by color. Place the 9 cubes near the dice. Shuffle the 9 region cards and place the deck face down. Gameplay Deal 3 region cards face up. Place any one of the 3 anywhere in the kingdom, the to-be built 3x3 grid of region cards. Deal 1 card to replace the placed card. Place any one of the 3 available region cards adjacent to the already played card (to the left, right, top, or bottom). Cards must be played right side up (not rotated). If desired, immediately select one or more items (cubes and/or dice) to place in any open patrol spot - any empty spot orthogonally between any played region cards to satisfy the requirements (the symbols on the facing edges of the region cards). When a row or column of 3 cards is completed, then all items between those cards must be placed. Repeat steps 3 - 5 until all cards are played, or you can no longer satisfy the regions’ requirements. 12 Patrols won 2nd place for best overall game in the 2019 9 Card Design Contest. —description from the publisher
12 Patrols supports 1 player according to the catalogue. This is the publisher’s listed player count, so the game is designed for exactly that number of participants. Variants for other group sizes, if any, are described in the rulebook of your edition, so check it before setting up a different configuration.
The listed playing time for 12 Patrols is 5–15 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists 12 Patrols for ages 12 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
12 Patrols has a complexity rating of 1.6 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
12 Patrols belongs to these categories: Print & Play and Abstract Strategy. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Tile Placement, and Solo / Solitaire Game. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of 12 Patrols are: Scott Allen Czysz. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists 12 Patrols as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.