- BGG rank
- BGG #4,599
- BGG rating
- 6.2
Happy Little Dinosaurs
- 2–4 players
- 30–60 min
- Complexity 1.4/5
- 2021
- BGG rank
- BGG #1,493
- BGG rating
- 6.9
Dead Man's Draw
2014
Rules assistance for Dead Man's Draw
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–4 players
- 15 min
- 13+
- Complexity 1.3/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Dead Man's Draw
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Dead Man's Draw is a board game released in 2014 for 2–4 players, 15 minutes per game, and ages 13 and up. It was designed by Derek Paxton, Leo Li, and Chris Bray and its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Take That, and Set Collection.
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About the game
Dead Man's Draw is a simple and strategic card game of risk and reward for 2 to 4 players. Players take turns drawing cards and combining their special abilities to plunder the most loot without busting their entire hands. The core of your turn in Dead Man’s Draw is all in the flip: pulling the top card off the deck and using its special ability. Your turn isn’t over until you say it is, though. You can keep pulling cards as long as you like – until you play a card of a suit already seen, at which point you lose everything. Knowing when to stop and "bank" your cards is the biggest decision you make in Dead Man’s Draw, but being too timid lets braver opponents pass you up with bigger, more profitable turns. The cards’ special abilities are key to success in Dead Man’s Draw, and they build off of each other. Each suit in DMD has an effect that the player can target when they flip a card of that suit. Anchor – Keep everything you drew before the Anchor even if you bust. Cannon – Destroy one card an opponent has previously banked. Chest – Double your haul by banking as many cards directly from the discard pile as are in the river when you bank the Chest – but only if you also bank a Key. Hook – Play one of your previously banked cards. Key – Enables the Chest special. Kraken – Oh no! You’re forced to draw at least two more cards. Map – Draw three cards from the discard pile and play one. Mermaid – No ability, but worth more points (Mermaids are numbered 4-9 instead of 2-7). Oracle – Look at the next card before deciding if you want to play it. Sword – Steal an opponent’s previously banked card and play it. Many of these work well together, like using a Hook to re-play a Sword from your hand to steal an opponent’s Chest to go with your Key – racking up huge points by playing abilities well and not solely through the luck of the draw. As soon as the deck is depleted, players total up the value of the highest card they’ve banked from each suit. High score wins.
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- Hobby World
- BoardM Factory
- asmodee
- Korea Boardgames
- Swan Panasia Co., Ltd.
- Heidelberger Spieleverlag
- Reflexshop
- MINDOK
- Games7Days
- Mayday Games
- Conclave Editora
- Bombyx
- Mancalamaro
- HeidelBÄR Games
- Elznir Games
- Hemz Universal Games Co. Ltd.
- CSE Games
- Stardock Entertainment
Questions and answers
Dead Man's Draw 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 Draw is 15 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 Draw 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.
Dead Man's Draw has a complexity rating of 1.3 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.
Dead Man's Draw belongs to these categories: Card Game, Video Game Theme, and Pirates. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Take That, and Set Collection. 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 Draw are: Derek Paxton, Leo Li, and Chris Bray. 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 Draw 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.