
- BGG rank
- BGG #826
- BGG rating
- 7.8
Creature Caravan
- 1–4 players
- 60–90 min
- Complexity 2.4/5
- 2024

Rules assistance for Fantastic Factories: Subterfuge
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.
Fantastic Factories: Subterfuge is an expansion for Fantastic Factories released in 2021 for 1–5 players, 45–60 minutes per game, and ages 14 and up. It was designed by Joseph Z. Chen and Justin Faulkner and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Take That, and Set Collection.
Subterfuge is an expansion to Fantastic Factories that adds new blueprints as well as direct player interaction in the form of contractors that you can hire to steal resources, cards, or even dice! Subterfuge also introduces the sabotage mechanic which can be used to disable your opponent's factories.
Fantastic Factories: Subterfuge supports 1–5 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 Fantastic Factories: Subterfuge is 45–60 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 Fantastic Factories: Subterfuge 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.
Fantastic Factories: Subterfuge has a complexity rating of 2.0 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.
Fantastic Factories: Subterfuge belongs to these categories: Card Game, Dice, and Industry / Manufacturing. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Take That, and 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 Fantastic Factories: Subterfuge are: Joseph Z. Chen and Justin Faulkner. 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 Fantastic Factories: Subterfuge as an expansion for Fantastic Factories. Expansions add new content, rules or scenarios to the base game and usually cannot be played on their own, so you need Fantastic Factories to use it. Check that your edition of Fantastic Factories is compatible, as some expansions were revised between editions.