
- BGG rank
- BGG #143
- BGG rating
- 7.7
Troyes
- 1–4 players
- 90 min
- Complexity 3.4/5
- 2010

2019
Rules assistance for Black Angel
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.
Black Angel is a board game released in 2019 for 1–4 players, 60–120 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Xavier Georges, Alain Orban, and Sébastien Dujardin and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Dice Rolling, and Variable Set-up.
Humanity, through its irresponsible behavior, has exhausted the natural resources of Earth, making it almost uninhabitable. In a burst of lucidity, pressed by the irreversible degradation of your planet, the great nations are forced to put aside their differences and share their knowledge in order to create the most vast spacecraft ever constructed. The Black Angel, the first intergalactic frigate in history, must transport the genetic heritage of humanity beyond known worlds, over a journey that is likely to last several thousand years. Her crew will be composed of only robots. Because no nation is willing to trust creation of the AI (artificial intelligence) that will control this crew to any other nation, a compromise is found: The Black Angel will be co-managed by several AIs, and the utility of each decision will be evaluated in VP (Validation Process). Players take the role of AI robots, piloting the Black Angel while engaging with alien species and fighting off ravagers. Actions are determined by cards and die rolls. Rounds continue until either of the following situations occurs: The Black Angel figurine arrives on Spes (during a Sequence B) or The Ravager card deck becomes empty (during a Sequence A). Players finish the round in progress, and then play one final round. At the end of the final round, victory points are tallied (depending on the end condition) and the player with the most victory points wins.
Black Angel 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 Black Angel is 60–120 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 Black Angel 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.
Black Angel has a complexity rating of 3.9 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a heavy 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.
Black Angel belongs to these categories: Science Fiction and Space Exploration. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Dice Rolling, and Variable Set-up. 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 Black Angel are: Xavier Georges, Alain Orban, and Sébastien Dujardin. 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 Black Angel 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.