
- BGG rank
- BGG #1,862
- BGG rating
- 7.1
Summer Camp
- 2–4 players
- 30–45 min
- Complexity 1.8/5
- 2021

2018
Rules assistance for Gizmos
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 2 players

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Gizmos is a board game released in 2018 for 2–4 players, 40–50 minutes per game, and ages 14 and up. It was designed by Phil Walker-Harding and its main mechanics are Race, Open Drafting, and Contracts.
The smartest minds of our generation are gathering together at the Great Science Fair. Everyone's been working hard on their creations, but only one will be crowned champion. Contestants have to think on the fly to build their machines quickly and efficiently. Whose project will be the best? In Gizmos, you win the game by gaining victory points from building engines. And engines help you get things done faster. Whoever builds the greatest machine and collects the most victory points wins! At the beginning of the game, you have 4 actions: File : Put a card in the public to your Archive, allow you to build it later. Pick : Take one energy marble from the 3D marble dispenser, to your storage. Build : Build one machine and put it on action! You have to pay the marbles with colors corresponding to the card cost. Research : Draw some cards, and you can then File or Build one of the drawn cards. The rest go to the bottom of their deck. Machines give you victory points, and allow you to do more actions when conditions are met. As you build, new attachments can trigger chain reactions, letting you do even more on your turn.
Gizmos supports 2–4 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 Gizmos is 40–50 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 Gizmos for ages 14 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.
Gizmos has a complexity rating of 2.1 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.
Gizmos belongs to these categories: Card Game and Science Fiction. Its main mechanics are Race, Open Drafting, and Contracts. 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 Gizmos are: Phil Walker-Harding. 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 Gizmos 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.