
- BGG rank
- BGG #1,904
- BGG rating
- 7.8
Dale of Merchants Collection
- 2–4 players
- 20–60 min
- Complexity 2.3/5
- 2019

2019
Rules assistance for Crave
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 2 players

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Crave is a board game released in 2019 for 2–6 players, 25 minutes per game, and ages 13 and up. It was designed by Bryan Sloan and its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Hand Management, and Take That.
Crave is a new strategic deck building card game, featuring modern hipster vampires and vampire hunters. You'll battle your opponent and use your influence to bring new characters, spells, actions, and items to your side. Each game is unique based upon what you see available to acquire, in addition to the varying paths your opponent may take. Crave is a fast playing, competitive game for 2 players per set, playable for up to 6 players at a time. You represent either Vampires or Vampire Hunters, and can acquire new characters exclusive to your side, as well as other factions available to either party. Each turn, spend your influence to gain new cards which make your deck more powerful. Equip items to characters, and create special combinations unique to your side, whether you are a vampire or vampire hunter. Use patrols to block your opponent, and poison their deck with wolfsbane and other plants. Win by draining your opponent's health before they do the same to you in your battle to survive. The 6 factions include: - Vampire Hunters #strongertogether - Vampires #lessismore - Werewolves #moreismore - Plants #pickyourpoison - Groupies #pickme - Enchanted #inyourdreams Unique attributes include: - Mutual card purchasing market PLUS personal markets - Asymmetrical, unique starting hands, exclusive to your side - Some purchased cards go into your opponent's deck - New keywords and special abilities Factions: VAMPIRES: Vampires are bent on destruction, draining the life from others, and are able to trash cards more frequently. VAMPIRE HUNTERS: Vampire Hunters have a team-based attack with more healing, dexterity, and benefits in the marketplace. WEREWOLVES: Their heavy attack grows even stronger as they increase in number. GROUPIES: A support group who want more than anything to be either Vampires or Vampire Hunters. Will even sacrifice themselves to support their side. PLANTS: Acquire poisons and drop them into your opponent’s deck to weaken them. Poisons affect your opponent directly, as well as affecting their characters in play. ENCHANTED: Special characters, items, and spells giving strong, varied, inter-connected abilities to help you. Modern day elves, dwarves, and other creatures will give new capabilities in your quest to win.
Crave 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 Crave is 25 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 Crave for ages 13 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.
Crave has a complexity rating of 2.0 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-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.
Crave belongs to these categories: Card Game, Fantasy, and Fighting. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, 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 Crave are: Bryan Sloan. 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 Crave 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.