- BGG rating
- 7.9
Founding Fathers: Offices & Statesmen
- 1–6 players
- 120 min
- Complexity 3.0/5
- 2014
- BGG rank
- BGG #7,108
- BGG rating
- 7.7
Founding Fathers
2007
Rules assistance for Founding Fathers
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 3–6 players
- 180 min
- 12+
- Complexity 3.1/5
Rules assistant for Founding Fathers
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Founding Fathers is a board game released in 2007 for 3–6 players, 180 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Rick Heli and its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Simulation, and Voting.
Expansions
- BGG rating
- 8.4
Founding Fathers: Ladies & Orators
- 3–6 players
- 120–300 min
- Complexity 3.0/5
- 2017
- BGG rating
- 8.1
Founding Fathers: Civil War & the Gilded Age
- 3–6 players
- 180 min
- Complexity 3.0/5
- 2019
Founding Fathers: Revolution & the Founding
- 1–6 players
- 240–600 min
- Complexity 3.0/5
- 2026
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About the game
Politics year to year in the early American republic. Play begins with George Washington as president, with Vice President John Adams. Each player controls several statesmen as well as others who will appear, up through the arrival of Abraham Lincoln. Together the players try to solve the issues faced by the young republic -- wars, debt, financial panics, the growth of the Union, north-south division, and more. Every four years the most popular politicians from each party square off to see who becomes the next president. Somewhat similar to The Republic of Rome, but with many modifications to suit the topic, including a completely different way of resolving elections and a more nuanced treatment of Issue cards (rather than simply Wars), plus novelties such as the Public Support Track, spendable Influence, political parties, more offices, tax cards, counterfactual events and an ever-expanding map of the United States. If diplomacy is not your cup of tea, a variant printed in the rules removes all requirements to negotiate and makes it a matter of cardplay, drafting and utilization of resources. Living rules available: https://www.thegamecrafter.com/games/founding-fathers:-green-edition
Designers
Publishers
- (Web published)
- Up & Away Games
Questions and answers
Founding Fathers supports 3–6 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 Founding Fathers is 180 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 Founding Fathers for ages 12 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.
Founding Fathers has a complexity rating of 3.1 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-weight 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.
Founding Fathers belongs to these categories: Print & Play, Napoleonic, and Political. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Simulation, and Voting. 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 Founding Fathers are: Rick Heli. 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 Founding Fathers 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.