- BGG rank
- BGG #476
- BGG rating
- 7.2
The Resistance
- 5–10 players
- 30 min
- Complexity 1.6/5
- 2009
- BGG rank
- BGG #15,274
- BGG rating
- 6.3
Black Hole Council
2018
Rules assistance for Black Hole Council
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 4–8 players
- 60 min
- 14+
- Complexity 1.8/5
For 4 players
Rules assistant for Black Hole Council
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Black Hole Council is a board game released in 2018 for 4–8 players, 60 minutes per game, and ages 14 and up. It was designed by Don Eskridge and its main mechanics are Simultaneous Action Selection, Voting, and Pattern Recognition.
Similar games
- BGG rank
- BGG #241
- BGG rating
- 7.5
The Resistance: Avalon
- 5–10 players
- 30 min
- Complexity 1.7/5
- 2012
- BGG rank
- BGG #2,420
- BGG rating
- 7.3
Quest
- 4–10 players
- 30 min
- Complexity 1.9/5
- 2021
- BGG rank
- BGG #2,732
- BGG rating
- 8.0
Avalon: Big Box
- 5–10 players
- 30 min
- Complexity 2.2/5
- 2022
- BGG rank
- BGG #12,964
- BGG rating
- 6.0
Abandon Planet
- 4–8 players
- 40–80 min
- Complexity 2.0/5
- 2017
- BGG rank
- BGG #12,297
- BGG rating
- 6.2
Dune: Betrayal
- 4–8 players
- 20–40 min
- Complexity 2.0/5
- 2021
- BGG rank
- BGG #12,948
- BGG rating
- 7.7
The Deception of Antiques: 12 Chinese Zodiac Bronze Heads
- 6–8 players
- 30–60 min
- Complexity 2.7/5
- 2017
- BGG rank
- BGG #5,941
- BGG rating
- 6.1
One Night Revolution
- 3–10 players
- 15 min
- Complexity 1.9/5
- 2015
- BGG rank
- BGG #5,329
- BGG rating
- 6.8
Burke's Gambit
- 4–8 players
- 20 min
- Complexity 1.5/5
- 2016
- BGG rank
- BGG #6,673
- BGG rating
- 6.9
Spies & Lies: A Stratego Story
- 2 players
- 30 min
- Complexity 1.8/5
- 2019
- BGG rank
- BGG #13,027
- BGG rating
- 6.9
VITA MORS
- 3–6 players
- 15–30 min
- Complexity 2.0/5
- 2017
- BGG rank
- BGG #14,592
- BGG rating
- 6.7
3 Kings
- 3–8 players
- 60–90 min
- Complexity 2.7/5
- 2015
About the game
Black Hole Council is a 4-8 player negotiation and deduction game about deciding the fate of 32 different planets. Players take on the role of Councilors on the Black Hole Council. Each Councilor has been paid off by shady organizations, and so has a secret agenda card they're trying to fulfill. During six negotiation rounds and three deductions rounds, players attempt to achieve their agenda and guess the goals of other players. During negotiations, a leader chooses whether to settle, tax, mine, conquer, or "black hole" five different planets while the other Councilors attempt to influence the leader's decision. This happens while a two-minute sand timer is running, and after it runs out, all players except the leader vote on the proposal. If it passes, all players advance (or not) on the influence track, depending on how well they did during the negotiation. During deduction rounds, players attempt to guess certain goals held by the other players. Correct guesses earn influence coins for you, while incorrect guesses earn coins for your opponent. The more players can negotiate to achieve their agenda and deduce what other players' goals are, the more likely they are to advance on the influence track and become the new de facto ruler of the Council.
Designers
Publishers
- Orange Machine Games
Questions and answers
Black Hole Council supports 4–8 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 Hole Council 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.
The catalogue lists Black Hole Council for ages 14 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 Hole Council 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.
Black Hole Council belongs to these categories: Party Game, Deduction, and Bluffing. Its main mechanics are Simultaneous Action Selection, Voting, and Pattern Recognition. 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 Hole Council are: Don Eskridge. 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 Hole Council 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.