- BGG rating
- 7.9
La Cosa Nostra: Guns for Hire
- 3–5 players
- 90 min
- Complexity 3.0/5
- 2017
- BGG rank
- BGG #1,620
- BGG rating
- 7.5
La Cosa Nostra
2014
Rules assistance for La Cosa Nostra
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 3–5 players
- 90 min
- 16+
- Complexity 2.6/5
For 3 players
Rules assistant for La Cosa Nostra
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
La Cosa Nostra is a board game released in 2014 for 3–5 players, 90 minutes per game, and ages 16 and up. It was designed by Johannes Sich and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Take That, and Dice Rolling.
Expansions
- BGG rating
- 7.9
La Cosa Nostra: Guns for Hire – Verstärkung
- 3–5 players
- 90 min
- Complexity 3.0/5
- 2018
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About the game
In La Cosa Nostra, you take on the role of a mafia boss. In the beginning, you control a crew of gangsters and a couple of businesses. During the game, you will hire new gangsters to do the dirty work and collect your money. Investments lead to new lines of business or monopoly positions: take control of the drug dealing, moneylending or prostitution. Bribe politicians and cops, invest your money in night clubs, casinos or the waste management industry. To get the big deals, you need to cooperate with the other families — but never rely on those "friendships". The others will take the first opportunity to stab you in the back, so you better do it first... Each player controls gangster cards that serve to either gain money or attack other players. Actions are planned secretly, placed face down, then played in turn. Often you need certain business cards to succeed. If you don't own them yourself, you can negotiate deals with the other players. The players bargain, spy, threaten, and deceive each other. Each of the four rounds brings new action cards into the game, and the number of gangsters increases. Thus, the possibilities for actions become more diverse, the jobs more profitable, and the attacks more powerful. Co-operation gets more attractive and treason alluring because at the end of the day money is the only thing that counts.
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- Edge Entertainment
- Niza Gams
- Baldar
- Choo Choo Games
- Quined Games
- Hard Boiled Games
Questions and answers
La Cosa Nostra supports 3–5 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 La Cosa Nostra is 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 La Cosa Nostra for ages 16 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.
La Cosa Nostra has a complexity rating of 2.6 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-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.
La Cosa Nostra belongs to these categories: Card Game, Bluffing, and Negotiation. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Take That, and Dice Rolling. 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 La Cosa Nostra are: Johannes Sich. 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 La Cosa Nostra 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.