- BGG rank
- BGG #24,622
- BGG rating
- 5.8
Black Death
- 2–6 players
- 120 min
- Complexity 1.9/5
- 1993
- BGG rank
- BGG #20,464
- BGG rating
- 6.9
Black Death v1.01
2008
Rules assistance for Black Death v1.01
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–6 players
- 60 min
- Complexity 2.7/5
Rules assistant for Black Death v1.01
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Black Death v1.01 is a board game released in 2008 for 2–6 players and 60 minutes per game. It was designed by Greg Porter and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Point to Point Movement, and Area Majority / Influence.
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About the game
Black Death is the game of plagues for 2 to 6 players. Each player is a different strain of disease in 14th century Europe, and whoever racks up the highest body count wins. The map is based on the trade routes and major population centers of Europe at the time, the events are based on historical events, and the rules are interspersed with grim quotes from the survivors. It is a game of conquest and strategy, just a different sort of conquest than your average wargame. Component list: Black Death includes color and greyscale 15 x 20 inch maps (tiled for normal printers and single sheet for large format printers), six disease tracks, 150 counters, two player aid sheets and twenty event cards. It will take anywhere from half an hour to an hour to assemble it, depending on the work you put into it. Play notes: Black Death is unusual in that it is a kind of conquest and area control game, but your score is based on infected populations dying off, which removes your counters from play. So you are simultaneously gaining ground in one spot and choosing to lose it in another. Depending on the Virulence and Mortality of your particular strain of a disease, the strategies you can use will vary. The game can be played with 2 people, but like most games of this sort, it works best with 3 or more. Re-implements: Black Death
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- Blacksburg Tactical Research Center
Questions and answers
Black Death v1.01 supports 2–6 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 Death v1.01 is 60 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.
Black Death v1.01 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.
Black Death v1.01 belongs to these categories: Print & Play, Medieval, and Medical. Its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Point to Point Movement, and Area Majority / Influence. 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 Death v1.01 are: Greg Porter. 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 Death v1.01 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.