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History of the World
- 3–6 players
- 135–270 min
- Complexity 2.8/5
- 1991
- BGG rank
- BGG #7,536
- BGG rating
- 6.9
DRCongo
2015
Rules assistance for DRCongo
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 1–4 players
- 120–180 min
- 14+
- Complexity 3.7/5
For 1 player
Rules assistant for DRCongo
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
DRCongo is a board game released in 2015 for 1–4 players, 120–180 minutes per game, and ages 14 and up. It was designed by Gary Dicken, Steve Kendall, and Phil Kendall and its main mechanics are Auction / Bidding, Dice Rolling, and Network and Route Building.
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About the game
DRCongo explores a hopeful hypothesis that if enlightened industrialists worked to develop the economy of this mighty country, then it would escape the clutches of a crippling insurgency. Players build industries and expand a transport network of river, rail and roads. Oil, minerals and crops are produced and if sold via the Atlantic port of Matadi, players reap rich rewards. Players develop their own cities and hydroelectricity can be sold to these. The game is built in four game layers with layer two introducing insurgents and peacekeepers, layer three the Government, and layer four strategic interventions by other countries. The game is played on a map showing the eleven provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and their "capital" towns. Transport routes are shown and include the major rivers and railways and export routes. In a turn a player may carry out one of five actions: build industry, place transport, develop city, produce resources, or sell resources. A neat and tidy economic game is made complicated by the presence of insurgents at game start, and these are suppressed and eliminated by use of players peacekeepers. This is a typical Ragnar Brothers dice combat system—simple but bringing tension and fun to proceedings.
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Ragnar Brothers
Questions and answers
DRCongo supports 1–4 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 DRCongo is 120–180 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 DRCongo 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.
DRCongo has a complexity rating of 3.7 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-weight 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.
DRCongo belongs to these categories: Economic, Political, and City Building. Its main mechanics are Auction / Bidding, Dice Rolling, and Network and Route Building. 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 DRCongo are: Gary Dicken, Steve Kendall, and Phil Kendall. 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 DRCongo 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.