
- BGG rank
- BGG #1,725
- BGG rating
- 7.4
Aftermath
- 1–4 players
- 60–120 min
- Complexity 2.9/5
- 2019

2017
Rules assistance for 21 Days
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 1 player

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
21 Days is a board game released in 2017 for 1–4 players, 30–45 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Erik Winkelman and its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Player Elimination, and Dice Rolling.
17 October 1903: The Esperanza ends up in a terrible storm and loses its battle against the elements. 163 people lose their lives, but a small group survives this disaster and washes ashore on the isle Juan Ansidad. For weeks they wait, hoping to be rescued, but they slowly run out of food. They come to realize that if they ever want to get home again, they will have to take matters into their own hands. A raft is carefully put together and with a small ration four brave survivors try their luck on the Pacific, looking for salvation. You have found the logbook in which the four survivors wrote down their adventures — their story, which lasted 21 days. In the dice-driven survival board game 21 Days, you relive the events of 21 days recorded in this recovered logbook. The purpose of the game is to have (at least) one of the survivors rescued by the rescue ship on the 21st day. You do this by following the events described in the logbook and having the survivors, represented by two stacked dice per survivor, choose and perform actions on the various locations on the game board by using their placement dice. Don't lose too many planks of the raft or else you will lose some of your survivors as well! In 21 Days, the four survivors are stuck together on a raft made out of six planks that are held loosely together. Some events during the 21 days may cause some planks to drift off. There are ways to prevent this, like saving up hope tokens or picking the right bottle cards. When the rescue ship enters the final spot on the rescue track and there are still survivors left on the raft, you will be saved and win the game. 21 Days is a dice-driven, Ameritrashy, game, so a lot depends on how you will roll the dice! However, there are ways to alter the dice, plan ahead, and make use of your survivor's special skills. www.21daysboardgame.com
21 Days supports 1–4 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for 21 Days is 30–45 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 21 Days for ages 10 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.
21 Days has a complexity rating of 2.7 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.
21 Days belongs to these categories: Animals, Dice, and Adventure. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Player Elimination, and Dice Rolling. 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 21 Days are: Erik Winkelman. 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 21 Days 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.