- BGG rank
- BGG #1,895
- BGG rating
- 7.0
Campy Creatures
- 2–5 players
- 20–30 min
- Complexity 1.6/5
- 2017
- BGG rank
- BGG #5,895
- BGG rating
- 6.4
Control
2016
Rules assistance for Control
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–4 players
- 5–10 min
- 14+
- Complexity 1.4/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Control
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Control is a board game released in 2016 for 2–4 players, 5–10 minutes per game, and ages 14 and up. It was designed by Mattox Shuler and its main mechanics are Hand Management and Take That.
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About the game
Based on the classic game Cuttle, in Control, players are time travelers who have been caught in a rupture in spacetime and displaced outside time. You must use Fuel Cells (the cards) to refuel your time machine or stop other players from refueling theirs first. To escape the rupture, you must reach a Fuel Cell Charge of 21 or more on your Installed Fuel Cells at the end of your turn. Whoever does so first closes the rupture, leaving the other travelers lost outside time. During your turn, you choose to either draw a card, install a Fuel Cell in your area of play, burn a Fuel Cell to the discard pile, or defuse an opponent's Fuel Cell. The Fuel Cell Charge on cards ranges from 1–10 and different abilities on Fuel cells make for changing strategies and multiple lines of play.
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Matagot
- Keymaster Games
Questions and answers
Control supports 2–4 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 Control is 5–10 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 Control 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.
Control has a complexity rating of 1.4 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.
Control belongs to these categories: Card Game and Science Fiction. Its main mechanics are Hand Management and Take That. 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 Control are: Mattox Shuler. 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 Control 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.