
- BGG rank
- BGG #7
- BGG rating
- 8.6
Twilight Imperium: Fourth Edition
- 3–6 players
- 240–480 min
- Complexity 4.4/5
- 2017

Rules assistance for Burke's Gambit: Xenobiologist
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Burke's Gambit: Xenobiologist is an expansion for Burke's Gambit released in 2016 for 4–8 players, 20 minutes per game, and ages 14 and up. It was designed by Robert Yates and its main mechanics are Voting.
A single promotional card. The power of the Xenobiologist is that once per game you can look at your own parasite card. This card was included in Game Trade Magazine #201.
Burke's Gambit: Xenobiologist 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 Burke's Gambit: Xenobiologist is 20 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 Burke's Gambit: Xenobiologist 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.
Burke's Gambit: Xenobiologist belongs to these categories: Science Fiction and Expansion for Base-game. Its main mechanics are Voting. 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 Burke's Gambit: Xenobiologist are: Robert Yates. 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 Burke's Gambit: Xenobiologist as an expansion for Burke's Gambit. Expansions add new content, rules or scenarios to the base game and usually cannot be played on their own, so you need Burke's Gambit to use it. Check that your edition of Burke's Gambit is compatible, as some expansions were revised between editions.