
- BGG rating
- 6.2
Dead Man's Cabal: Undeading Pack
- 2–4 players
- 60–90 min
- 2019

2019
Rules assistance for Dead Man's Cabal
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.
Dead Man's Cabal is a board game released in 2019 for 2–4 players, 60 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Daniel Newman and its main mechanics are Open Drafting, Contracts, and Action Queue.
You've conquered death and mastered all nine dimensions of space-time. Reality bends to your every whim and desire. You are the absolute best there ever has been, a necromancer at the top of their game. The only downside is that no one likes you on account of the creeping around with dead bodies and the lack of sunlight. But who needs friends when you can make them? Dead Man's Cabal is a mid-weight strategy game from Daniel Newman, with game development from Jonathan Gilmour (Dead of Winter, Dinosaur Island). In the game, 2-4 players compete to bring the dead back to life so that they can throw a party with actual, you know, guests. The gameplay is a clever interplay of a unique action selection mechanism that allows players to choose both a private action followed by a group action, requiring tense decision-making on the timing of the different phases of the game. Collect bodies, crystal skulls, and runes, then bring the dead back to life. This might sound simple enough, but triggering the actions in just the right order requires careful planning to make sure you aren't helping your competitors more than yourself. —description from the publisher
Dead Man's Cabal 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 Dead Man's Cabal is 60 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 Dead Man's Cabal for ages 12 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.
Dead Man's Cabal has a complexity rating of 2.7 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.
Dead Man's Cabal belongs to these categories: Fantasy, Horror, and Zombies. Its main mechanics are Open Drafting, Contracts, and Action Queue. 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 Dead Man's Cabal are: Daniel Newman. 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 Dead Man's Cabal 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.