
- BGG rank
- BGG #1,800
- BGG rating
- 7.0
Catacombs
- 2–5 players
- 30–60 min
- Complexity 2.0/5
- 2010

Rules assistance for Catacombs: Black Box
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.
Catacombs: Black Box is an expansion for Catacombs (Third Edition) released in 2021 for 2–5 players, 60–90 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Aron West and its main mechanics are Flicking.
The Black Box expands Catacombs 3E with a new double-sided 3E compatible playmat featuring the Athenoch Mortuary on one side and the Notholag Dungeon on the other. It provides a full set of alternate monsters cards for the base Catacombs game plus every Catacombs 3E expansion published so far including: Cavern of Soloth, Resurrection, Wyverns of Wylemuir, and Keystones & Keeps. There is a new set of monsters for the Vermin family and the new Mushroom familiar for the heroes. In terms of rules, this expansion introduces the snowball ranged shot, group rush shot, move to rune "shot" and the transmogrify shot modifier. The box artwork is an homage to the cover of Catacombs First Edition, released over 10 years ago.
Catacombs: Black Box supports 2–5 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 Catacombs: Black Box is 60–90 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 Catacombs: Black Box 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.
Catacombs: Black Box belongs to these categories: Fantasy, Adventure, and Expansion for Base-game. Its main mechanics are Flicking. 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 Catacombs: Black Box are: Aron West. 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 Catacombs: Black Box as an expansion for Catacombs (Third Edition). Expansions add new content, rules or scenarios to the base game and usually cannot be played on their own, so you need Catacombs (Third Edition) to use it. Check that your edition of Catacombs (Third Edition) is compatible, as some expansions were revised between editions.