
- BGG rank
- BGG #12,749
- BGG rating
- 6.9
Verdun
- 2–4 players
- 30 min
- Complexity 2.0/5
- 2025

Rules assistance for Joffre
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Joffre is a board game for 3–4 players, 20 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. Its main mechanics are Trick-taking.
Fanatically popular 32-card trick taking card game played, with special deck, in the Quebec region of Bellchasse (St-Anselme). It was first published as a World War 1 propaganda game in November 1914 by the Tribune newspaper in Sherbrooke, Qc, and was then sold as "Shoo le Kaiser". It was renamed Joffre, after the victorious French general, in the 1920s. It is a re-emplementation of Lost Heir and was re-emplemented in Saskatchewan as Kaiser. It is played with 2 teams of 2. Players bid on the number of tricks they think they will win. High card taking the trick, and each trick being worth 1 point. Each suit represents a different army from WWI (ex: instead of an Ace of Hearts you have a 7 General of Russia) There are 4 special cards in the deck. If you win a trick with the "Joffre" (French commander in WWI) then he is worth an additional 5 points and taking the German "Kaiser" will cause you to lose 3 points. The other 2 special cards (England and Russia) have no value.
Joffre 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 Joffre is 20 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 Joffre for ages 10 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.
Joffre has a complexity rating of 1.6 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.
Joffre belongs to these categories: Card Game, Wargame, and World War I. 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 catalogue lists Joffre 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.