- BGG rating
- 7.2
Crystal Palace: Cards no 31
- 2–5 players
- 90–150 min
- 2020
- BGG rank
- BGG #885
- BGG rating
- 7.5
Crystal Palace
2019
Rules assistance for Crystal Palace
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–5 players
- 60–150 min
- 14+
- Complexity 3.8/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Crystal Palace
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Crystal Palace is a board game released in 2019 for 2–5 players, 60–150 minutes per game, and ages 14 and up. It was designed by Carsten Lauber and its main mechanics are Take That, Set Collection, and Income.
Expansions
- BGG rating
- 7.4
Crystal Palace: The Newspaper Cards
- 2–5 players
- 90–150 min
- 2020
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About the game
In Crystal Palace, players take on the role of a nation at the time of the first World Fair in London (1851), trying to create a buzz with spectacular inventions and the support of famous and powerful people. Crystal Palace is a dice-placement game in which the players themselves determine the stats of their dice at the beginning of each round. The higher the number, the better — but it comes at a price. In the course of the game, dice are placed on eight action locations (Patent Office, Reform Club, London Times, Port of London, Waterloo Station, British Museum, Bank of England, Westminster) in a competition for the best resources, patents, and brains. In a world of slightly weird inventions, you will meet people like Phileas Fogg, Levi Strauss and Amelia Edwards, and invent gadgets such as the Thinking machine, the Beer glass counter or the Climate changer. —description from the publisher
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Maldito Games
- White Goblin Games
- DiceTree Games
- Cranio Creations
- Feuerland Spiele
- Capstone Games
- Super Meeple
- Brain Star
Questions and answers
Crystal Palace 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 Crystal Palace is 60–150 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 Crystal Palace 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.
Crystal Palace has a complexity rating of 3.8 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a heavy 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.
Crystal Palace belongs to these categories: Economic and Dice. Its main mechanics are Take That, Set Collection, and Income. 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 Crystal Palace are: Carsten Lauber. 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 Crystal Palace 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.