- BGG rank
- BGG #5,695
- BGG rating
- 6.7
Dragonmaster
- 3–4 players
- 30 min
- Complexity 2.0/5
- 1981
- BGG rank
- BGG #4,300
- BGG rating
- 6.8
Indulgence
2017
Rules assistance for Indulgence
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 3–4 players
- 40–60 min
- 14+
- Complexity 1.8/5
For 3 players
Rules assistant for Indulgence
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Indulgence is a board game released in 2017 for 3–4 players, 40–60 minutes per game, and ages 14 and up. It was designed by Rob Daviau, Justin D. Jacobson, and G. W. "Jerry" D'Arcey and its main mechanics are Trick-taking.
Similar games
- BGG rank
- BGG #7,097
- BGG rating
- 6.4
Regatta
- 2–6 players
- 60 min
- Complexity 2.1/5
- 1967
- BGG rank
- BGG #195
- BGG rating
- 7.9
Unmatched: Cobble & Fog
- 2–4 players
- 20–40 min
- Complexity 2.0/5
- 2020
- BGG rank
- BGG #297
- BGG rating
- 7.7
Unmatched: Battle of Legends, Volume One
- 2–4 players
- 20–40 min
- Complexity 2.0/5
- 2019
- BGG rank
- BGG #472
- BGG rating
- 8.2
Unmatched: Battle of Legends, Volume Two
- 2–4 players
- 20–40 min
- Complexity 2.1/5
- 2021
- BGG rank
- BGG #550
- BGG rating
- 8.2
Unmatched Game System
- 2–4 players
- 20–40 min
- Complexity 2.0/5
- 2019
- BGG rank
- BGG #1,390
- BGG rating
- 8.2
Unmatched: Redemption Row
- 2–3 players
- 20–40 min
- Complexity 2.1/5
- 2022
- BGG rank
- BGG #1,405
- BGG rating
- 8.2
Unmatched: Hell's Kitchen
- 2–3 players
- 20–40 min
- Complexity 2.2/5
- 2022
- BGG rank
- BGG #1,487
- BGG rating
- 8.4
Unmatched: Slings and Arrows
- 2–4 players
- 20–40 min
- Complexity 2.4/5
- 2024
- BGG rank
- BGG #1,569
- BGG rating
- 8.4
Unmatched Adventures: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
- 1–4 players
- 20–40 min
- Complexity 2.3/5
- 2025
- BGG rank
- BGG #1,898
- BGG rating
- 8.3
Unmatched: Brains and Brawn
- 2–3 players
- 20–40 min
- Complexity 2.2/5
- 2023
- BGG rank
- BGG #2,214
- BGG rating
- 8.2
Unmatched: For King and Country
- 2–3 players
- 20–40 min
- Complexity 2.5/5
- 2023
About the game
In the teachings of the Catholic Church, an indulgence may be granted to relieve sins. In some cases, this might be by doing good works or engaging in meaningful prayer, but in the darkest of times, indulgences were sold to anyone willing to make a significant "contribution". As the rising families of the Italian Renaissance conspired and plotted to seize control, the indulgence offered a clear conscience for many a questionable deed committed in the name of power. Indulgence is a trick-taking game for 3-4 players. On their turn, players choose an edict that gives the rule for the hand. The other players then decide if they want to violate the edict by doing the opposite of what it commands. So "Don’t take any Medicis" suddenly becomes "I must take all the Medicis". Committing a sin can be challenging, but a player attempting it gets the benefit of the indulgence, a token that turns one of their cards into a winning hand. Can you trick your opponents into committing sins without the indulgence? Can you avoid sinning yourself? Whoever can pull that off will end up with a pile of gems and the title of victor. Indulgence is a restoration of Dragonmaster, originally published by Milton Bradley in 1981 and designed by Jerry D'Arcey. It was itself a reimagining of D'Arcey's prior game, Coup d'Etat, and its classic progenitor Barbu. Dragonmaster enjoyed lavish production, with oversized cards, art by the incomparable Bob Pepper, and some nifty interlocking gems for keeping score. In addition to the retheming, the restoration evens out the game play. The original game suffered from a runaway leader problem in which an early power play with the dragon card all but assured one player's elimination from contention and gave the other a big leg up. The indulgence token replaces the dragon card to make it more accessible, less powerful, and easier to understand. It also increases the number of contracts from 5 to 20, and ups the deck to 36 cards.
Mechanics
Publishers
- Restoration Games
Questions and answers
Indulgence supports 3–4 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 Indulgence is 40–60 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 Indulgence for ages 14 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.
Indulgence 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.
Indulgence belongs to these categories: Card Game and Religious. Its main mechanics are 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 Indulgence are: Rob Daviau, Justin D. Jacobson, and G. W. "Jerry" D'Arcey. 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 Indulgence 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.