
- BGG rank
- BGG #24,385
- BGG rating
- 5.7
Fat Fish
- 2–6 players
- 20 min
- Complexity 1.0/5
- 2018

2020
Rules assistance for Don Carlo
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.
Don Carlo is a board game released in 2020 for 2–4 players, 30 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by Wolfgang Kramer, Uwe Rapp, and Bernhard Lach and its main mechanics are Hand Management and Area Majority / Influence.
Each one of the player is the Consigliere (counsellor) of an old-established family. Your task? Gain the maximum possible influence for your family in Absurdistan and the neighbouring countries. To achieve this, send out agents to these countries by combining cards with numbers on it (for example 007) and attempt to gain an edge on the other families. The total of the numbers on the cards, decide in which country the agents travels. Of course there can only be one 007, so the task is to find more number combinations. The more agents are already in the country the more points the player gets. The one who combines their cards most cleverly, pockets the most points at the end.
Don Carlo 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 Don Carlo is 30 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 Don Carlo for ages 8 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.
Don Carlo 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.
Don Carlo belongs to these categories: Card Game. Its main mechanics are Hand Management and Area Majority / Influence. 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 Don Carlo are: Wolfgang Kramer, Uwe Rapp, and Bernhard Lach. 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 Don Carlo 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.