
- BGG rank
- BGG #5,779
- BGG rating
- 6.1
Fast Forward: FEAR
- 2–5 players
- 15 min
- Complexity 1.1/5
- 2017

2025
Rules assistance for Fearless
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 3 players

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Fearless is a board game released in 2025 for 3–5 players, 30–45 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Friedemann Friese and its main mechanics are Trick-taking.
In Fearless, you walk through a gloomy forest and try to stay on the safe path. If you still wander astray, you try to turn back again as close as possible. The closer you are to the safe path, the less fear you will suffer. Not walking at all is no alternative as you'll remain behind on your own in the scary ruin. If you are the most fearless after several rounds, you will win the game! Fearless is a simple trick-taking game with four suits and without trump. The card with the highest value in the led suit always wins the trick. The unusual part of the game is the card values as they are not all positive as typical for trick-taking games, but have values from +6 to -6 in each suit. Thus, you collect both negative and positive cards. The kicker: You try to gain a balanced score, collecting both minus and plus points. This is theoretically possible for all players, but "sadly" you play against each other — and the others are always pleased when they can scare you with another handful of points.
Fearless supports 3–5 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 Fearless is 30–45 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 Fearless 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.
Fearless has a complexity rating of 1.8 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.
Fearless belongs to these categories: Card Game, Humor, and Number. Its main mechanics are Trick-taking. 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 Fearless are: Friedemann Friese. 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 Fearless 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.