
- BGG rank
- BGG #328
- BGG rating
- 7.8
Mind MGMT: The Psychic Espionage “Game.”
- 1–5 players
- 60 min
- Complexity 2.9/5
- 2021

1987
Rules assistance for Black Vienna
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 3 players

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Black Vienna is a board game released in 1987 for 3–6 players, 60 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Gilbert Obermair and its main mechanics are Deduction and Paper-and-Pencil.
In this thinly-themed game, players seek to uncover the three spies who have their identities hidden. There are twenty-seven possible suspects, represented by twenty-seven lettered cards (with the umlauted O). Three of the cards are removed, as they are the spies. The remainder are dealt out to the players. Then players take turns 'asking' each other for information by playing a card with three letters in front of the informant. He must then look at his cards and place either zero, one, two, or three chips on the card, depending on how many of those letters are part of his secret collection. The first player to correctly identify the three missing spies (letters) is the winner.
Black Vienna supports 3–6 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 Vienna 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 Vienna for ages 10 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 Vienna has a complexity rating of 2.6 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 Vienna belongs to these categories: Card Game, Deduction, and Spies / Secret Agents. Its main mechanics are Deduction and Paper-and-Pencil. 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 Vienna are: Gilbert Obermair. 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 Vienna 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.