
- BGG rank
- BGG #1,668
- BGG rating
- 7.2
Ninjato
- 2–4 players
- 60 min
- Complexity 2.8/5
- 2011

2017
Rules assistance for Deadline
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.
Deadline is a board game released in 2017 for 2–4 players, 60 minutes per game, and ages 14 and up. It was designed by Adam West and Dan Schnake and its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Hand Management, and Set Collection.
New York, the city that never sleeps. According to the high and mighty, things were supposed to be different in the Big Apple in 1938. No more poverty. Medicine that works. Shining skyscrapers and subway cars, the new age upon us. Sure. So why am I in the same dingy office, with a cheap desk and a cheaper secretary, paid to find a missing husband somewhere out in the mean streets? Simple job, except my wealthy socialite employer was hiding something. She was a good looker but a bad liar. I grabbed my hat and gun. I slipped a flask into the pocket of my overcoat. I was ready to wade into the cesspool. Deadline is a film noir co-operative card game for 2-4 players from the team behind Galactic Emperor, Ninjato and Wizards of the Wild in which players as detectives use special abilities and hand management to follow clever clues to solve an original mystery.
Deadline 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 Deadline 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 Deadline 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.
Deadline 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.
Deadline belongs to these categories: Deduction and Murder / Mystery. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Hand Management, 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 Deadline are: Adam West and Dan Schnake. 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 Deadline 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.