
- BGG rank
- BGG #1,589
- BGG rating
- 7.0
The Hunger
- 2–6 players
- 60 min
- Complexity 2.3/5
- 2021

Rules assistance for FaceEater
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with saved question history.

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
FaceEater is a board game released in 2010 for 2–6 players, 15–60 minutes per game, and ages 15 and up. It was designed by Jon McClure and its main mechanics are Set Collection.
Enter a world that sends you down a twisting and turning path of hostility, deception and revenge full of zombies, vampires, social deviants and overall dastardly beasties. Undo the past and change the future in one sitting. Care to lobotomize a friend? Want to give them the plague? Or spray them with nerve gas? Play FaceEater, the post-apocalyptic game where death is your friend, mercy is a weakness and shafting your friends is fun. The game of Face Eater comes with a FaceEater Deck containing four standard decks, consisting of 104 regular cards, 88 Power Cards, 8 Face Eaters and 8 Jokers. The Survival Guide includes the rules and a Power Card index with cross-referenced explanations of all cards and terms used in the game. Although two to six people can play, three to five players seems to work best The object of FaceEater is to avoid having your face eaten while you shaft your opponents! A standard FaceEater game has three rounds, and the player with the lowest score at the end of the third round wins. Play as many or as few rounds as you'd like. Call the game as desired in each round, except in two to three player games where “no limit” is required for sets, straights, and runs. When “no limit” is chosen in four to six player games, the game is more dangerous and moves at a faster pace.
FaceEater supports 2–6 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 FaceEater is 15–60 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 FaceEater for ages 15 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.
FaceEater has a complexity rating of 2.6 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.
FaceEater belongs to these categories: Card Game and Horror. Its main mechanics are Set Collection. 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 FaceEater are: Jon McClure. 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 FaceEater 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.