- BGG rank
- BGG #5,949
- BGG rating
- 7.7
Desperate Oasis
- 2 players
- 15–25 min
- Complexity 1.6/5
- 2024
- BGG rank
- BGG #13,609
- BGG rating
- 7.6
Loners
2026
Rules assistance for Loners
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–4 players
- 20–30 min
- 8+
- Complexity 1.5/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Loners
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Loners is a board game released in 2026 for 2–4 players, 20–30 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by Dan Cassaro and its main mechanics are Hand Management and Ladder Climbing.
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About the game
"Round up broken heroes, pavement prophets, and alleyway weirdos to climb the rusty rungs of street power in LONERS! Recruit street toughs to build your hand, slam down powerful sets and runs to show your muscle, and call security if things get too hot. Wow never pegged you for a snitch?? Be the first to shed all your cards and win!" LONERS is a thematic climbing game of high times and low-lifes. Play ever-escalating combos from your hand to take down the active crew on the block. You can’t rearrange your hand, so you’ll need to recruit public Loner cards to juice your combos—but that’s risky. Any combo using Loners can be stolen if another player can add a card, claiming ownership. You can also flip the script by playing Security Guards cards to de-escalate the fight, forcing future combos lower. Get rid of your cards to win the round, but no one can go out until all public Loners are claimed. Time your plays right—or get jumped. —description from the publisher
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Weast Coast
Questions and answers
Loners supports 2–4 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 Loners is 20–30 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 Loners for ages 8 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.
Loners has a complexity rating of 1.5 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.
Loners belongs to these categories: Card Game and Number. Its main mechanics are Hand Management and Ladder Climbing. 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 Loners are: Dan Cassaro. 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 Loners 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.