- BGG rank
- BGG #3,023
- BGG rating
- 6.8
El Capitán
- 2–5 players
- 75 min
- Complexity 2.9/5
- 2007
- BGG rank
- BGG #14,228
- BGG rating
- 5.8
FBI
2004
Rules assistance for FBI
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–5 players
- 30 min
- 10+
- Complexity 1.5/5
Rules assistant for FBI
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
FBI is a board game released in 2004 for 2–5 players, 30 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Wolfgang Kramer and Horst-Rainer Rösner and its main mechanics are Set Collection, Simultaneous Action Selection, and Turn Order: Auction.
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About the game
From Phalanx Games: You are the leader of a team of inspectors. Your aim: Catch as many bad guys as possible and arrest them. The media and your boss put a lot of pressure on you. Nobody is perfect...and so from time to time you arrest a blameless citizen. However, you should get them out of prison as soon as possible, otherwise you score a lot of negative points. The winner is the player who has arrested the most notorious bad guys. To achieve this aim you need a quick mind, tactical skill and a little bit of luck. The components include 30 Inspector cards, 5 Prison cards, 69 Persona cards, 5 Bonus cards, 1 Handcuff card, 1 Rules booklet.
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- Mayfair Games
- Rio Grande Games
- Phalanx Games B.V.
Questions and answers
FBI supports 2–5 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 FBI 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 FBI 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.
FBI has a complexity rating of 1.5 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.
FBI belongs to these categories: Card Game. Its main mechanics are Set Collection, Simultaneous Action Selection, and Turn Order: Auction. 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 FBI are: Wolfgang Kramer and Horst-Rainer Rösner. 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 FBI 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.