
- BGG rank
- BGG #2,492
- BGG rating
- 7.0
Ground Floor
- 2–6 players
- 90–150 min
- Complexity 3.7/5
- 2012

2018
Rules assistance for Ground Floor (Second Edition)
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 1 player

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Ground Floor (Second Edition) is a board game released in 2018 for 1–5 players, 90–150 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by David Short and its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers and Worker Placement.
In Ground Floor, one to five players adopt the role of entrepreneurs responsible for the survival of their young start-up company. As CEO, a player uses their limited time to manage their business. Time is money, so they have to spend it wisely! Does a player need to hire staff or refine production? What about launching a marketing campaign? Anything is possible with effective use of time, money, and information — but in order to reach that corner office of your skyscraper, a player has to start with everybody else...on the ground floor! The second edition of Ground Floor features gameplay similar to the original edition, but it's been streamlined and shortened. Other changes include a new stock exchange city building, new improvement tiles, Automa rules for solo game play, and most of the Overfunding Achievements expansion.
Ground Floor (Second Edition) supports 1–5 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 Ground Floor (Second Edition) is 90–150 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 Ground Floor (Second Edition) 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.
Ground Floor (Second Edition) has a complexity rating of 3.6 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.
Ground Floor (Second Edition) belongs to these categories: Economic, City Building, and Industry / Manufacturing. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers and Worker 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 Ground Floor (Second Edition) are: David Short. 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 Ground Floor (Second Edition) 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.