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Book of Dragons
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Heroes and Tricks
2017
Rules assistance for Heroes and Tricks
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–6 players
- 15–25 min
- 8+
- Complexity 1.3/5
Rules assistant for Heroes and Tricks
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Heroes and Tricks is a board game released in 2017 for 2–6 players, 15–25 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by Jonathan Gilmour-Long and Eduardo Baraf and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Deduction, and Trick-taking.
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About the game
No matter race, creed, gender, or empire – each child of Gamedor is born with an affinity to one of The Four Suits: Card, Meeple, Die, or Token. In Love and War these suits are absolutely meaningless, but in Game, well, they mean everything. A true leader uses their cards, and any means necessary, to gain the favor of other heroes of the land. Can you best the other Lords of Gamedor and build the biggest party of Heroes? The objective of Heroes and Tricks is to be the Player to win the most tricks (thereby having the most Heroes) in the game. Each Trick is led by a Hero card that defines the target suit and color, dramatically changing the play dynamic of typical trick-taking games. Players then play into the trick, but only see the last played card and need to use deduction, item play, and hand management to win the most tricks. Heroes and Tricks is played without a game surface as trick playing is managed through a special deck box that provides trick and hero sections. Standard Play is a single round, but an Extended Play of Heroes and Tricks is played over three rounds.
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Pencil First Games, LLC
Questions and answers
Heroes and Tricks 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 Heroes and Tricks is 15–25 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 Heroes and Tricks 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.
Heroes and Tricks has a complexity rating of 1.3 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.
Heroes and Tricks belongs to these categories: Card Game, Fantasy, and Deduction. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Deduction, and Trick-taking. 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 Heroes and Tricks are: Jonathan Gilmour-Long and Eduardo Baraf. 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 Heroes and Tricks 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.