
- BGG rank
- BGG #357
- BGG rating
- 7.3
For Sale
- 3–6 players
- 30 min
- Complexity 1.3/5
- 1997

1996
Rules assistance for Die Safeknacker
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Die Safeknacker is a board game released in 1996 for 3–5 players, 20 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Stefan Dorra.
In this card driven game, safe-crackers co-operate but must share the spoils. The player who finishes the game with the most money wins. Everyone has two choices in their turn: either recruit safe-crackers or attempt to crack a safe. One of these two must be chosen every turn. The first choice is to take one of your own safe-crackers and put him on any of another player. Put this safe-cracker in that team before you. This way you can build safe-cracker teams in addition to individual safe-crackers. The piece lying on top shows who has the safe-cracking team under their control. The second choice is to crack the safe. First a gaze at the safe cards: On each safe card, a value that this safe contains is printed - the loot. Simultaneously it also portrays how large the safe-cracking team must be in order to crack this safe; the team may also be bigger. Place the team on the desired safe, dismantle it and share the loot. The card with the cracked safe is set aside and a new safe card is uncovered. The game ends when all the safes are cracked. The player with the most money wins the game. Re-implemented by: Buccaneer
Die Safeknacker supports 3–5 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 Die Safeknacker is 20 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 Die Safeknacker for ages 10 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.
Die Safeknacker has a complexity rating of 1.5 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.
Die Safeknacker belongs to these categories: Card Game. Categories describe the theme, setting and style of a game rather than its rules. Filter the catalogue by the same category to find similar games when you enjoyed Die Safeknacker and want something comparable for your next game night.
The credited designers of Die Safeknacker are: Stefan Dorra. 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 Die Safeknacker 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.