- BGG rank
- BGG #3,310
- BGG rating
- 7.3
Don't Mess with Cthulhu Deluxe
2018
Rules assistance for Don't Mess with Cthulhu Deluxe
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 4–8 players
- 1–30 min
- 10+
- Complexity 1.3/5
For 4 players
Rules assistant for Don't Mess with Cthulhu Deluxe
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Don't Mess with Cthulhu Deluxe is a board game released in 2018 for 4–8 players, 1–30 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by 佐藤 雄介 (Yusuke Sato) and its main mechanics are Team-Based Game and Traitor Game.
About the game
Don’t Mess with Cthulhu is a social deduction game with secret identities. Players are either Investigators trying to keep Cthulhu from waking and controlling the world, or Cultists that want to bring the world to a disturbing end. The game takes place over four rounds. The Investigators must uncover all the Elder Signs to win; the Cultists win when Cthulhu is revealed or if the game ends before all the Elder Signs are discovered. Before each round players receive a number of Investigation cards, which they look at but then shuffle and put in front of themselves so they know what cards they have, but they don't know which card is which. Each round has a number of actions equal to the number of players in the game. Players take actions to reveal Investigation cards, and gather all unrevealed cards are shuffled an redistributed evenly among the players. Reveal Cthulhu, and the Cultists win instantly. Reveal all the Elder Signs, and the Investigators win. If you want to play multiple rounds (it's highly recommended), the losers in each game get Insanity tokens. Get three tokens, and the night is over with the winner(s) being those most sane. Don’t Mess with Cthulhu Deluxe is a new edition of this game with the Necronomicon and Objects of Power that allows for play with 4-8 players.
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Popcorn Games
- Indie Boards & Cards
Questions and answers
Don't Mess with Cthulhu Deluxe supports 4–8 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't Mess with Cthulhu Deluxe is 1–30 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't Mess with Cthulhu Deluxe 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.
Don't Mess with Cthulhu Deluxe 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't Mess with Cthulhu Deluxe belongs to these categories: Card Game, Party Game, and Deduction. Its main mechanics are Team-Based Game and Traitor Game. 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't Mess with Cthulhu Deluxe are: 佐藤 雄介 (Yusuke Sato). 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't Mess with Cthulhu Deluxe 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.