- BGG rank
- BGG #5,946
- BGG rating
- 7.3
Ex Libris: Revised Edition
- 1–4 players
- 45 min
- Complexity 2.1/5
- 2023
- BGG rating
- 6.3
Rules assistance for Gear & Piston: Engineer Assistants
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–6 players
- 30–60 min
- 8+
- Complexity 2.5/5
Rules assistant for Gear & Piston: Engineer Assistants
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Gear & Piston: Engineer Assistants is an expansion for Gear & Piston released in 2013 for 2–6 players, 30–60 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by Jukka Höysniemi and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Set Collection, and Tile Placement.
Similar games
- BGG rank
- BGG #986
- BGG rating
- 7.1
Ex Libris
- 1–4 players
- 45 min
- Complexity 2.5/5
- 2017
- BGG rank
- BGG #1,120
- BGG rating
- 7.2
Akrotiri
- 2 players
- 45 min
- Complexity 2.6/5
- 2014
- BGG rank
- BGG #106
- BGG rating
- 8.3
Galactic Cruise
- 1–4 players
- 90–150 min
- Complexity 4.0/5
- 2025
- BGG rank
- BGG #2,434
- BGG rating
- 7.1
Coal Baron: The Great Card Game
- 2–4 players
- 50–80 min
- Complexity 2.7/5
- 2016
- BGG rank
- BGG #6,451
- BGG rating
- 6.6
Craftsmen
- 2–5 players
- 120–180 min
- Complexity 4.0/5
- 2013
- BGG rank
- BGG #3,963
- BGG rating
- 7.1
Terminus
- 1–5 players
- 90–180 min
- Complexity 3.8/5
- 2024
- BGG rank
- BGG #912
- BGG rating
- 7.3
Coal Baron
- 2–4 players
- 60–75 min
- Complexity 2.5/5
- 2013
- BGG rank
- BGG #71
- BGG rating
- 8.2
Lisboa
- 1–4 players
- 60–120 min
- Complexity 4.6/5
- 2017
- BGG rank
- BGG #595
- BGG rating
- 7.2
Quadropolis
- 2–4 players
- 30–60 min
- Complexity 2.2/5
- 2016
- BGG rank
- BGG #2,208
- BGG rating
- 6.7
Artifacts Inc.
- 2–4 players
- 60 min
- Complexity 2.1/5
- 2014
- BGG rank
- BGG #21,120
- BGG rating
- 6.7
Dunhuang: Pearl on the Silk Road
- 1–4 players
- 40–120 min
- Complexity 3.5/5
- 2018
About the game
The first mini-expansion to Gear & Piston, it contains 10 Engineer Assistant tiles. At the start of the game each player is dealt one random Engineer Assistant tile. The players may look at the assistant tile they received but the tile is kept secret from other players. The tiles are placed face-down on the table, with the 1VP scoring symbol facing up. Each Engineer Assistant has a unique special ability that may be used only once during a game. The special ability can be used by turning the assistant tile face-up thus revealing the assistant to the other players. An unrevealed Engineer Assistant is worth 1 VP at the end of the game. Each tile is revealed either at the start of the round or at any time. If multiple assistants are revealed simultaneously, they are resolved in turn order starting from the first player. Each portrait on each tiles will bear the likeness of a Gear & Piston Kickstarter backer.
Designers
Publishers
- LudiCreations
Questions and answers
Gear & Piston: Engineer Assistants 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 Gear & Piston: Engineer Assistants is 30–60 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 Gear & Piston: Engineer Assistants for ages 8 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.
Gear & Piston: Engineer Assistants has a complexity rating of 2.5 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.
Gear & Piston: Engineer Assistants belongs to these categories: Industry / Manufacturing, Transportation, and Expansion for Base-game. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Set Collection, and Tile Placement. 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 Gear & Piston: Engineer Assistants are: Jukka Höysniemi. 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 Gear & Piston: Engineer Assistants as an expansion for Gear & Piston. Expansions add new content, rules or scenarios to the base game and usually cannot be played on their own, so you need Gear & Piston to use it. Check that your edition of Gear & Piston is compatible, as some expansions were revised between editions.