
- BGG rank
- BGG #9,272
- BGG rating
- 6.2
Alexander the Great
- 2 players
- 120 min
- Complexity 2.6/5
- 1971

1975
Rules assistance for Boot Hill
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 2 players

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Boot Hill is a board game released in 1975 90–180 minutes per game. It was designed by Gary Gygax and Brian Blume and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Square Grid, and Grid Movement.
From the cover of the rulebook: Rules for "Wild West" gunfights and campaigns with miniature figures on a man-to-man scale. From the foreword in the rulebook: 'These rules are aimed at enjoyment on a plane unusual to wargaming, the individual and personal. Rather than commanding hordes of troops players typically have but a single figure, their "character". With these figures the players recreate the individual gunfights, saloon brawls, and Wild West action as has come down to us from the pages of history - and the celluloid of Hollywood Westerns.' Designed as a role-playing game, Boot Hill, can be played as such or as a war game using either your own miniatures or the counters provided on a map board.
The listed playing time for Boot Hill is 90–180 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.
Boot Hill has a complexity rating of 2.1 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.
Boot Hill belongs to these categories: Wargame, Miniatures, and American West. Its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Square Grid, and Grid Movement. 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 Boot Hill are: Gary Gygax and Brian Blume. 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 Boot Hill 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.