- BGG rank
- BGG #26,771
- BGG rating
- 5.7
DIG: the Card Game
- 2–4 players
- 45 min
- Complexity 1.5/5
- 2011
- BGG rank
- BGG #22,374
- BGG rating
- 5.9
Deck of Thieves
2013
Rules assistance for Deck of Thieves
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–4 players
- 45 min
- 13+
- Complexity 2.1/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Deck of Thieves
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Deck of Thieves is a board game released in 2013 for 2–4 players, 45 minutes per game, and ages 13 and up. It was designed by Jason Fordham and its main mechanics are Hand Management.
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About the game
The Arch Thief is dead, and the Pact of Thieves is broken. In accord with tradition, the leaders of the major bands of thieves have only until dawn to gather the wealth that will prove them worthy to be the new Arch Thief. They must steal from strangers and fellow thieves alike, avoid the watch, keep their gold close, and keep a very close eye on their rivals. Deck of Thieves is a fast-playing, tactical, cut-throat card game of hand-management for two to four players (up to eight players when using two game sets). Each player receives an identical deck of cards. In addition to Gold Coin cards, the action cards in the game each have up to three effects: Ability, Activate, and/or Reaction. In turn, each player may play a card to his play area and apply its Ability or Activate a card already in his play area from a previous turn. On another player's turn, players may play a card with a Reaction effect to counter an opponent's card. In addition to these three actions, during their turns, players may move Gold Coin cards around within their play areas (placing a Gold Coin card on top of a Coin Purse card for protection, for example). Example cards include Dagger, Cutpurse, Pickpocket, Lock Box, Guild Hall, Traveling Merchant, Lock Pick, Thieves' Tools, and the Dirty Thief. Using these and other cards' Abilities, Activates, and Reactions, players both seek to steal the Gold Coin cards from their opponents--adding them to their play area--and protect their own Gold Coin cards from being stolen. Once a player has 7 Gold Coin cards in his play area, the game ends after one more complete set of turns or when one player is completely out of cards. Each card in the game has a gold value; the player with the highest gold value wins the game!
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- (Self-Published)
Questions and answers
Deck of Thieves 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 Deck of Thieves is 45 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 Deck of Thieves 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.
Deck of Thieves 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.
Deck of Thieves belongs to these categories: Card Game and Print & Play. Its main mechanics are Hand Management. 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 Deck of Thieves are: Jason Fordham. 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 Deck of Thieves 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.