- BGG rank
- BGG #5,874
- BGG rating
- 7.1
Gachapon Trick
- 2–4 players
- 20–40 min
- Complexity 1.4/5
- 2024
- BGG rank
- BGG #14,261
- BGG rating
- 7.2
Agency
2024
Rules assistance for Agency
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 4 players
- 20–40 min
- 12+
- Complexity 1.5/5
Rules assistant for Agency
For 4 players
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Agency is a board game released in 2024 for 4 players, 20–40 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Daniel Newman and its main mechanics are Trick-taking and Neighbor Scope.
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About the game
The Agency has tasked you and your partner with infiltrating our foreign counterparts, but it turns out that other organization has issued the same directive. Don’t let us down. Agency is a 4-player only partnership trick taking game. You do not have your own hand of cards, but share hands with your opponents to your left and right. Your partner sits across the table from you. Agency is a “point trick” game, meaning rather than scoring per trick taken, specific cards have points on them and those are the only ones that score. Agency is must follow but may trump (and may “wall”) - meaning when a suit is led, your options are: follow suit play a trump card play a Wall card In the black suits, 3s and 7s are worth 2 points, 5s are worth 4 points - pips on the cards signify this. The red trump suit cards are not worth any points. Walls have no numbers, cannot win tricks, and are used to separate the shared hands. They can be played at any time (as long as there is not already a Wall played into a trick) but cannot be led unless you have no other cards available. If a Wall is led, the next player sets the lead suit. Walls are worth 2 points when scoring a trick.
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- New Mill Industries
Questions and answers
Agency supports 4 players 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 Agency is 20–40 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 Agency 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.
Agency has a complexity rating of 1.5 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.
Agency belongs to these categories: Card Game and Spies / Secret Agents. Its main mechanics are Trick-taking and Neighbor Scope. 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 Agency are: Daniel Newman. 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 Agency 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.