
- BGG rank
- BGG #1,797
- BGG rating
- 7.2
Keyper
- 2–4 players
- 90–120 min
- Complexity 3.6/5
- 2017

2025
Rules assistance for Keyside
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 1 player

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Keyside is a board game released in 2025 for 1–4 players, 90–120 minutes per game, and ages 14 and up. It was designed by Richard Breese and Dávid Turczi and its main mechanics are Set Collection, Variable Set-up, and Follow.
Keyside takes place on a busy island with 12 harbours and a myriad of ‘quays’. Each player controls a team of 18 workers, known as ‘keyples’, who will work in the farms, harbours, markets, quarry, wheat fields, and woods. Players use their 6 dice to either direct the boats to their chosen harbours or to join the other players on their turns and, in both cases, set their team of keyples to work. Once the dice are played (phase 1), then the harbours are activated (phase 2) and players gain actions and resources where their keyples are present. After three rounds (years), players score points depending on where their keyples are located, most notably in the harbours, and from the cottages, houses, and headlands they have built and from skills they have collected. The player with the most points wins the game. —description from the publisher
Keyside supports 1–4 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 Keyside is 90–120 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 Keyside 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.
Keyside has a complexity rating of 3.9 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a heavy 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.
Keyside belongs to these categories: Economic and Medieval. Its main mechanics are Set Collection, Variable Set-up, and Follow. 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 Keyside are: Richard Breese and Dávid Turczi. 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 Keyside 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.