- BGG rank
- BGG #14,609
- BGG rating
- 6.4
March Madness
- 2–64 players
- 45 min
- Complexity 2.2/5
- 1991
- BGG rank
- BGG #26,864
- BGG rating
- 5.6
Candidate
1991
Rules assistance for Candidate
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–6 players
- 90 min
- 10+
- Complexity 1.9/5
Rules assistant for Candidate
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Candidate is a board game released in 1991 for 2–6 players, 90 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Richard Winter.
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About the game
The object of this game is to visit various states in the union and win as many primaries as it takes to get nominated. During a 23 week period primaries will be held in the 50 states. Each player wages his campaign through careful management of ever changing resources, bluffs, and current events on a state-by-state basis to the climactic final days of the conventions and his or her party's nomination. The first player with a majority (270) of the 538 electoral votes wins.
Questions and answers
Candidate 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 Candidate is 90 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 Candidate 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.
Candidate has a complexity rating of 1.9 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.
Candidate belongs to these categories: Political. Categories describe the theme, setting and style of a game rather than its rules. Filter the catalogue by the same category to find similar games when you enjoyed Candidate and want something comparable for your next game night.
The credited designers of Candidate are: Richard Winter. 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 Candidate 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.