- BGG rating
- 8.2
Rules assistance for City of the Great Machine: Stand-In Heroes
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 1–4 players
- 60–90 min
- 14+
- Complexity 3.5/5
Rules assistant for City of the Great Machine: Stand-In Heroes
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
City of the Great Machine: Stand-In Heroes is an expansion for City of the Great Machine released in 2023 for 1–4 players, 60–90 minutes per game, and ages 14 and up. It was designed by German Tikhomirov and its main mechanics are Area Movement, Cooperative Game, and Team-Based Game.
About the game
The valiant Heroes, represented in the core game, have done their best to resist the Great Machine... but alas have failed. The Stand-In Heroes continue on what their predecessors were struggling for! The Stand-In Heroes expansion adds 6 new Heroes with exceptional abilities and tactics. Each of them takes place of the corresponding Hero from the core game in their last attempt to stop the Great Machine. Limited printrun.
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- CrowD Games
- Moroz Dev Studio
Questions and answers
City of the Great Machine: Stand-In Heroes supports 1–4 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 City of the Great Machine: Stand-In Heroes 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 City of the Great Machine: Stand-In Heroes 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.
City of the Great Machine: Stand-In Heroes has a complexity rating of 3.5 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-weight 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.
City of the Great Machine: Stand-In Heroes belongs to these categories: Miniatures, Science Fiction, and Expansion for Base-game. Its main mechanics are Area Movement, Cooperative Game, and Team-Based 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 City of the Great Machine: Stand-In Heroes are: German Tikhomirov. 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 City of the Great Machine: Stand-In Heroes as an expansion for City of the Great Machine. Expansions add new content, rules or scenarios to the base game and usually cannot be played on their own, so you need City of the Great Machine to use it. Check that your edition of City of the Great Machine is compatible, as some expansions were revised between editions.