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- BGG #11,443
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- 7.0
1972: The Lost Phantom
- 1 player
- 30–90 min
- Complexity 1.7/5
- 2017
- BGG rank
- BGG #19,778
- BGG rating
- 6.7
1872: The Lost Crows
2019
Rules assistance for 1872: The Lost Crows
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 1 player
- 30–90 min
- 8+
- Complexity 2.0/5
Rules assistant for 1872: The Lost Crows
For 1 player
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
1872: The Lost Crows is a board game released in 2019 for 1 player, 30–90 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by Mike Heiman and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Paper-and-Pencil, and Storytelling.
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About the game
1872: The Lost Crows is a solitaire, map-making, Roll-and-write survival game focused on a realistic immersion into a narrative of the Frontier West from a (Michener-esque) Native point-of-view. It's the 4th in my xx72 line of 1-page micro games. This game differs from its predecessors by increasing theme and putting much more emphasis in journaling and storytelling. Similar to a legacy or campaign game but in a more sandbox feel, and with multiple storylines and endings to maintain high replay value. The game PDF consists of 1 (consumable) Player Sheet and 7 pages of rules and storyline, all in a black and white low ink format. It takes less than a minute to set up a game. You are a small tribe of Montanan Crow that are trying to make your way to Canada to avoid the upcoming conflict between the United States and the loose alliance of Native tribes. As per the setting in the game: The Tribes have met and decided on war. You refuse to subject your Crow people to such a lost cause. A vision warned you that the Americans spill blood of many tribes on this frontier. It’s now a race across the Montana frontier to Canada before the U.S. Cavalry can catch you. 1872 won 3rd place in the Most Thematic category on the 1st Roll & Write BGG Contest. —description from the designer
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- (Web published)
Questions and answers
1872: The Lost Crows 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 1872: The Lost Crows is 30–90 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 1872: The Lost Crows for ages 8 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.
1872: The Lost Crows has a complexity rating of 2.0 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-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.
1872: The Lost Crows belongs to these categories: Print & Play, Exploration, and American West. Its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Paper-and-Pencil, and Storytelling. 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 1872: The Lost Crows are: Mike Heiman. 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 1872: The Lost Crows 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.