
- BGG rank
- BGG #767
- BGG rating
- 7.0
Can't Stop
- 2–4 players
- 30 min
- Complexity 1.1/5
- 1980

1994
Rules assistance for I'm the Boss!
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 3 players

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Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
I'm the Boss! is a board game released in 1994 for 3–6 players, 60 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Sid Sackson and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Take That, and Set Collection.
The six Investor cards are shuffled and one is dealt face up to each player. Any Investor cards not dealt to the players are set aside for now. The Influence Card deck is shuffled and each player is dealt five cards face down. The player whose Investor is first in alphabetical order goes first. The player to the starting player’s right places the Dollar marker on any space on the game board. Each space on the game board represents a potential deal which Investors have to approve the deal and the number of dividends to be paid to those investors. On one’s turn, a player can open negotiations on the deal where the Dollar marker rests or roll the six-sided die. If the player rolls the die, the Dollar marker is advanced clockwise around the game board counting the available deals as spaces. Once the Dollar marker rests, the player may try to negotiate that deal or draw three Influence cards. If by drawing cards, the player’s hand exceeds twelve the player chooses which cards to discard to the limit. Should a player choose to make the deal, the player negotiates with the player or players representing the Investors how to divide the money at stake. The amount is number of dividends written on the space multiplied by value of the shares written on the deal tile. Any or all of the players may use their Influence cards to affect the outcome of the deal: • Clan cards may act in place of Investors whether the Investors are in play or not. • Travel cards put Investors out of play for the negotiations. Some are specific for a given Investor; some are wild to be played on any Investor. • Recruitment cards can only be played in sets of three to steal another player’s Investor and make it your own. • Boss cards give the player control of the negotiations. • Stop cards immediately stop the effects of Travel, Recruitment, and Boss Influence cards. The players are paid from the bank when a deal has been struck. The game board space is covered with the Deal tile (effectively closing the space from further game play), the Dollar marker is moved to the next open space, and play continues with next player. Once nine deals have been made, a die is rolled after each subsequent deal to determine whether the game ends (with the odds increasing each time). Victory goes to whoever has the biggest bankroll! --user description
I'm the Boss! supports 3–6 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 I'm the Boss! is 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 I'm the Boss! 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.
I'm the Boss! has a complexity rating of 2.0 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.
I'm the Boss! belongs to these categories: Economic and Negotiation. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Take That, and Set Collection. 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 I'm the Boss! are: Sid Sackson. 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 I'm the Boss! 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.