
- BGG rank
- BGG #2,081
- BGG rating
- 6.8
Beyond Balderdash
- 2–6 players
- 45 min
- Complexity 1.5/5
- 1993

Rules assistance for Karen
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.
Karen is a board game released in 2022 for 3–10 players, 45–90 minutes per game, and ages 14 and up. Its main mechanics are Paper-and-Pencil and Voting.
In Karen, you attempt to fool others into thinking that your review is an actual one-star review. In more detail, each round one player takes the role of host and reads one of three types of review cards: What's Being Reviewed, Fill in the Blanks, or Write the Review. The host reads out the review or the partial review or the product to be reviewed, then they write the product, the missing words, or the review on a sheet of paper, while everyone else makes up a product, missing words, or review that sounds plausible. The host then reads out the all the written answers, and whoever votes for the real answer scores a point, while whoever's fake answer receives a vote also scores a point. For every five points, you lose one of your stars, and whoever is first reduced from five stars to one star wins.
Karen supports 3–10 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 Karen is 45–90 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 Karen 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.
Karen belongs to these categories: Party Game and Bluffing. Its main mechanics are Paper-and-Pencil and Voting. 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 Karen 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.