
- BGG rank
- BGG #15,721
- BGG rating
- 8.0
Stalagbite!: The Dwarven Quest for Gold and Glory
- 1–6 players
- 45–60 min
- Complexity 2.0/5
- 2024

2020
Rules assistance for Book of the Dead
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

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Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Book of the Dead is a board game released in 2020 for 2–6 players, 5–9 minutes per game, and ages 14 and up. It was designed by Paul Scott and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Matching, and Cooperative Game.
Book of the Dead is a fast-paced co-operative card game for 2-6 players that takes 9 minutes (or less) to play. Players must work together to collect the scattered pages, place them back into the book by matching arcane symbols and close the covers in time to prevent the return of Great Cthulhu. At the start of each player's turn, they must roll the die of the dead, and then follow the instructions of the icon rolled before they take their action. The Skull may force players to discard cards from their hand, and the Book may eject pages from the book, back to the vortex. In the basic game, the Vortex icon is not used, and represents a brief respite for the players. Each page of the book of the dead is represented by a double sided poker-sized card (with rounded corners) that feature 1-6 arcane icons. To bring two pages together, the icons must match. On your turn, after you have rolled the dice, you have one action, such as taking a card from the Vortex (the central pool of cards in the table), adding your 'stack' of cards to the book and finally, if able, to close the book and win the game. —description from the designer
Book of the Dead 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 Book of the Dead is 5–9 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 Book of the Dead 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.
Book of the Dead has a complexity rating of 1.0 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.
Book of the Dead belongs to these categories: Card Game, Party Game, and Horror. Its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Matching, and Cooperative Game. 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 Book of the Dead are: Paul Scott. 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 Book of the Dead 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.