
- BGG rank
- BGG #9,859
- BGG rating
- 6.8
Gloom in Space
- 2–5 players
- 60 min
- Complexity 2.0/5
- 2017

Rules assistance for Gloom: Unfortunate Expeditions
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Gloom: Unfortunate Expeditions is an expansion for Gloom released in 2009 for 2–5 players, 30 minutes per game, and ages 13 and up. It was designed by Keith Baker and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Take That, and Storytelling.
The Gloom: Unfortunate Expeditions expansion adds one player and 55 cards to the game. Here is a description of the expansion from the publisher: In the Gloom card game, you make your eccentric family of misfits suffer the greatest tragedies possible before helping them pass on to the well-deserved respite of death. Just mix the 55 transparent cards in this set together with your copy of Gloom to add morbid new Modifiers, Events, and Untimely Deaths, and a new family of intrepid explorers who've faced misfortune across the globe. These days Colonel Bumpersnoot is really more of a bargain hunter, while Lady Bumpersnoot struggles with high society -- but she always loves to have guests for dinner. Their Towering Treehouse is included as a Residence card to use with the Unhappy Homes expansion. Unfortunate Expeditions introduces expeditions into the game. Only one expedition can be in play at a time. An expedition's rules affect all players as long as it remains in play. When you play a modifier of untimely death that has an expedition symbol, resolved the immediate effects of the card, then replace the current expedition with the one shown on the card. Some cards also have special effects that occur if an active expedition is already in play when the card is played.
Gloom: Unfortunate Expeditions 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.
The listed playing time for Gloom: Unfortunate Expeditions is 30 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 Gloom: Unfortunate Expeditions 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.
Gloom: Unfortunate Expeditions has a complexity rating of 1.8 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.
Gloom: Unfortunate Expeditions belongs to these categories: Card Game, Humor, and Horror. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Take That, and Storytelling. 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 Gloom: Unfortunate Expeditions are: Keith Baker. 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 Gloom: Unfortunate Expeditions as an expansion for Gloom. Expansions add new content, rules or scenarios to the base game and usually cannot be played on their own, so you need Gloom to use it. Check that your edition of Gloom is compatible, as some expansions were revised between editions.