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Trailblazers
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Fiasko
1997
Rules assistance for Fiasko
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–5 players
- 20 min
- 10+
- Complexity 1.0/5
Rules assistant for Fiasko
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Fiasko is a board game released in 1997 for 2–5 players, 20 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Reinhard Staupe and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Race, and Set Collection.
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About the game
A small card game featuring a supermarket theme and a Can't Stop-like element to gameplay. Each turn, players may either draw a card or score their hand and begin collecting groceries anew. Hands are scored by multiplying the values of one type of grocery (milk, canned corn, etc. - the player decides which type will score) by the total number of cards in a players hand. The risk: If a player draws one of the 6 Fiasko cards, all cards in his hand are forfeit (apparently the grocery display had grown too tall and toppled over, based on the graphics). The deck also contains two Catastrophe cards, which cause all but the player who draws them to discard their hands. Players may score each type of grocery only once per game. The game ends when one player has scored all five types of merchandise. Player with the most points wins.
Designers
Publishers
- F.X. Schmid
- Ravensburger AG
Questions and answers
Fiasko 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 Fiasko is 20 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 Fiasko 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.
Fiasko has a complexity rating of 1.0 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.
Fiasko belongs to these categories: Card Game and Humor. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Race, 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 Fiasko are: Reinhard Staupe. 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 Fiasko 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.