
- BGG rank
- BGG #2,496
- BGG rating
- 6.5
Cutthroat Caverns
- 3–6 players
- 90 min
- Complexity 2.1/5
- 2007

2019
Rules assistance for Cutthroat Caverns: Anniversary Edition
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 3 players

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Cutthroat Caverns: Anniversary Edition is a board game released in 2019 for 3–6 players, 30–90 minutes per game, and ages 14 and up. It was designed by Curt Covert and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Take That, and Player Elimination.
"Without teamwork, you will never survive. Without betrayal, you'll never win." An artifact of untold power lies in your hands. To claim it, you must escape the caverns alive. No less than nine horrific beasts stand in your way — that, and the greed of the other players. In the kill-stealing game Cutthroat Caverns, you decide whether to swing for a whopping 50 points of damage or hold back, awaiting a more opportune time to strike. Only the final blow matters if you are to score the kill. Hold back or sabotage other's plans too much, and the entire party will die without a winner. The adventurers jockey for position during combat with their lives and their own selfish desire for power in the balance, so things get very funny and very deadly very quickly. Cutthroat Caverns: Anniversary Edition is a complete reboot of the well-known semi-co-operative game Cutthroat Caverns, with the game experience being updated in significant ways. Enhanced encounters, epic finish rules, scaling play times, enhanced components, updated cards, rules and keywords to streamline play and a ground up re-envisioning of the illustrations and graphics are all among the updates you can look forward to in this anniversary edition of the game. —description from the publisher Also available on mobile devices iOS https://apps.apple.com/us/app/cutthroat-caverns/id1436417431 Android https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.cellblocstudios.cutthroatcavernsmobile
Cutthroat Caverns: Anniversary Edition supports 3–6 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 Cutthroat Caverns: Anniversary Edition is 30–90 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 Cutthroat Caverns: Anniversary Edition 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.
Cutthroat Caverns: Anniversary Edition has a complexity rating of 2.1 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.
Cutthroat Caverns: Anniversary Edition belongs to these categories: Card Game, Fantasy, and Fighting. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Take That, and Player Elimination. 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 Cutthroat Caverns: Anniversary Edition are: Curt Covert. 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 Cutthroat Caverns: Anniversary Edition 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.