- BGG rating
- 8.0
Fortune & Famine: Expansion
- 2–6 players
- 30–90 min
- 2023
- BGG rank
- BGG #19,963
- BGG rating
- 7.7
Fortune & Famine
2021
Rules assistance for Fortune & Famine
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–6 players
- 30–90 min
- 13+
- Complexity 2.0/5
Rules assistant for Fortune & Famine
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Fortune & Famine is a board game released in 2021 for 2–6 players, 30–90 minutes per game, and ages 13 and up. It was designed by Jonathan Hartzell and Jennifer Hartzell and its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Hand Management, and Auction / Bidding.
Expansions
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About the game
Fortune & Famine is a strategy card game, set in medieval times of magic. You play as the ruler of a growing kingdom, attempting to store more grain in 12 rounds than opposing rulers. To do that, you will spend silver to bid against other rulers on worker cards which produce unique goods or services for your kingdom. You will need to balance your silver and grain economies, and take some risks. The primary risk-reward comes in the form of FAMINE cards, which show up with increasing regularity as the game progresses. You can store as much of your grain as you wish to safety for a single silver coin. This makes it economically beneficial to leave your grain growing as long as possible. But beware! When FAMINE strikes, you will lose half of it! Variable player powers are built in with six rulers. Each ruler gives a unique power to their kingdom. Rulers can be distributed randomly at the start or chosen by each player for the cost of less starting silver. If all else fails and you think an opposing ruler is running away with the game, you may be able to slow them with judiciously played evil wizard cards, although each wizard will cost a precious spot in your kingdom! -description from designer
Designers
Publishers
- Mid Level Meeple
Questions and answers
Fortune & Famine 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 Fortune & Famine is 30–90 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 Fortune & Famine for ages 13 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.
Fortune & Famine 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.
Fortune & Famine belongs to these categories: Fantasy, Economic, and Medieval. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Hand Management, and Auction / Bidding. 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 Fortune & Famine are: Jonathan Hartzell and Jennifer Hartzell. 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 Fortune & Famine 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.