
- BGG rating
- 8.3
Hard City: Heroes of Hard City
- 1–5 players
- 30–60 min
- 2020

2020
Rules assistance for Hard City
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 1 player

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Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Hard City is a board game released in 2020 for 1–5 players, 30–60 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Adam Kwapiński and Marek Franciszek Raczyński and its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Dice Rolling, and Team-Based Game.
Hard City is a miniatures board game for 1 to 5 players in which you take on the role of brave officers of the Hard City Police Department. You have to face off against the hordes of mutants controlled by the evil Doctor Zero, a mad scientist who wants to take over the city today...and the whole world tomorrow! In order to get out of this clash, you have to work together to rescue as many citizens as possible using the unique abilities of your characters to counter the bloodthirsty mutants' attacks. Become a police officer and enter the rainy, neon-lit streets of Hard City. Stop the evil mastermind Doctor Zero, shoot mutants, rescue civilians, and blast some cool synth music really loud while driving your Chevrolet. You will be given a whole arsenal of weapons and various items to help you withstand until reinforcements arrive — or become Doctor Zero and send your minions to the streets of the city, fight the officers, and finally take control of the whole metropolis! During each turn of the game, officers act first and spend their action points on various actions, such as moving, shooting mutants, escorting civilians, and using special abilities. Doctor Zero plays differently, having a deck of dedicated cards that determine what they can do: spawn new mutants, move them, or attack officers. The game is scenario-based, and the five episodes form a complete story of Doctor Zero's rise and fall and the officers' epic fight against him. Each episode is playable (and re-playable) on its own, having unique winning conditions and different set-up. Imagine a strategy dungeon crawler board game, played in the "1 vs. all" mode — but in a unique "new retro" setting heavily inspired by B-class action movies and the atmosphere of the 1980s era! Who will survive on the streets of mayhem?
Hard City 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 Hard City 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 Hard City 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.
Hard City has a complexity rating of 2.3 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.
Hard City belongs to these categories: Humor, Horror, and Miniatures. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Dice Rolling, and Team-Based Game. 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 Hard City are: Adam Kwapiński and Marek Franciszek Raczyński. 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 Hard City 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.