- BGG rating
- 7.4
At the Helm: Lazarette
- 1 player
- 15 min
- 2022
- BGG rank
- BGG #5,577
- BGG rating
- 7.1
At the Helm
2022
Rules assistance for At the Helm
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 1 player
- 15 min
- 12+
- Complexity 1.8/5
For 1 player
Rules assistant for At the Helm
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
At the Helm is a board game released in 2022 for 1 player, 15 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Ted Heidersdorf and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Solo / Solitaire Game, and Deck, Bag, and Pool Building.
Expansions
- BGG rating
- 7.5
At the Helm: Port Amalga
- 1 player
- 15 min
- Complexity 3.0/5
- 2022
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About the game
The sea is a dangerous place. Whether it’s storms or sea serpents, you’re putting your life on the line each time you set sail. Boldly face the challenges of the open ocean as you steer your ship into uncharted waters. At the Helm is a heavy nautical theme game inspired by the old captain's ship logs. Often in these ship logs you'd see drawings and we used that as inspiration. It's solo and it's a deckbuilder. Over a series of turns, build a deck and use it to complete the three selected challenges before you run out of time or health. Turns proceed as follows: 1. Choose 1 or 2 cards from your hand. For each chosen card, either resolve its ability and place it in the discard pile, or discard it (ignoring its ability). 2. Resolve the effects of incomplete challenges. 3. Draw cards form the deck until you have 3 cards in hand. Take 1 damage for each broken heart. If the market and deck both run out of cards and you need to draw a card, or your health reaches the skull and bones, you lose the game. Otherwise, when you complete the win conditions of the selected challenges, you win the game! —description from the publisher A 15 minute game in which you captain your sailboat through various challenges of the open ocean. —description from the designer
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- Button Shy
Questions and answers
At the Helm 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 At the Helm is 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 At the Helm 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.
At the Helm has a complexity rating of 1.8 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.
At the Helm belongs to these categories: Card Game, Print & Play, and Nautical. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Solo / Solitaire Game, and Deck, Bag, and Pool Building. 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 At the Helm are: Ted Heidersdorf. 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 At the Helm 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.