- BGG rank
- BGG #95
- BGG rating
- 7.7
Race for the Galaxy
- 2–4 players
- 30–60 min
- Complexity 3.0/5
- 2007
- BGG rank
- BGG #15,512
- BGG rating
- 6.5
Gadget Builder
2025
Rules assistance for Gadget Builder
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–5 players
- Complexity 1.7/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Gadget Builder
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Gadget Builder is a board game released in 2025 for 2–5 players. It was designed by Thomas Lehmann and its main mechanics are Hand Management.
Similar games
- BGG rank
- BGG #186
- BGG rating
- 7.6
Res Arcana
- 2–4 players
- 30–60 min
- Complexity 2.7/5
- 2019
- BGG rank
- BGG #12,252
- BGG rating
- 6.0
Middle Kingdom
- 2–5 players
- 40 min
- Complexity 2.0/5
- 2008
- BGG rank
- BGG #1,249
- BGG rating
- 7.0
Jump Drive
- 2–4 players
- 10–30 min
- Complexity 2.0/5
- 2017
- BGG rank
- BGG #2,421
- BGG rating
- 7.9
Res Arcana Duo
- 2 players
- 20–60 min
- Complexity 2.7/5
- 2024
- BGG rank
- BGG #3,084
- BGG rating
- 6.5
The City
- 2–5 players
- 30 min
- Complexity 1.6/5
- 2011
- BGG rank
- BGG #3,871
- BGG rating
- 7.0
Chu Han
- 2 players
- 25 min
- Complexity 2.2/5
- 2024
- BGG rank
- BGG #8,751
- BGG rating
- 6.1
Jericho
- 3–5 players
- 15 min
- Complexity 1.4/5
- 2006
- BGG rank
- BGG #9,839
- BGG rating
- 6.6
Winter Court
- 2 players
- 30–60 min
- Complexity 1.8/5
- 2024
- BGG rank
- BGG #176
- BGG rating
- 7.6
Roll for the Galaxy
- 2–5 players
- 45 min
- Complexity 2.8/5
- 2014
- BGG rank
- BGG #3,345
- BGG rating
- 7.0
Pandemic: Hot Zone – Europe
- 2–4 players
- 30 min
- Complexity 2.0/5
- 2021
- BGG rank
- BGG #5,704
- BGG rating
- 7.0
Dark Pact
- 1–4 players
- 50 min
- Complexity 2.8/5
- 2026
About the game
Gadget Builder is a family card game from designer Tom Lehmann that riffs on the core idea of Crazy Eights: match number or color to play your cards and try to empty your hand first. The twist is that you can use cards from a fifth suit to build various gadgets that persist from hand to hand and help you get rid of your cards. Which gadgets do you build? When do you use them? You can use only one gadget per turn, and to go out, you must have no cards in hand and no unused gadgets. If you empty your hand but haven't used all of your gadgets, you draw one card for each unused gadget, so don't build it unless you're going to use it!
Questions and answers
Gadget Builder 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.
Gadget Builder has a complexity rating of 1.7 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.
Gadget Builder belongs to these categories: Card Game. Its main mechanics are Hand Management. 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 Gadget Builder are: Thomas Lehmann. 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 Gadget Builder 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.