
- BGG rating
- 8.0
Malifaux: Rising Powers
- 2 players
- Complexity 3.5/5
- 2010

2009
Rules assistance for Malifaux
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 2 players

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Malifaux is a board game released in 2009 for 2 players and 90–120 minutes per game. It was designed by Dan Weber, Nathan Caroland, and Eric Johns and its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Hand Management, and Measurement Movement.
Malifaux is a skirmish miniature game in a horror/steampunk setting. Each player builds a force of 5-7 figures from a faction to battle it out. A force is composed of minions and at least one master. Malifaux involves elements of resource management as hands of cards are used instead of dice to resolve skill checks. Each check involves drawing a card from a deck and adding it to a figure's statistic. Players can then use cards from their hands to raise the value. The highest value in an opposed check wins. The turn system is integrated, with each player alternating turns between model activations.
Malifaux supports 2 players according to the catalogue. This is the publisher’s listed player count, so the game is designed for exactly that number of participants. Variants for other group sizes, if any, are described in the rulebook of your edition, so check it before setting up a different configuration.
The listed playing time for Malifaux 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.
Malifaux has a complexity rating of 3.2 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-weight 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.
Malifaux belongs to these categories: Wargame, Horror, and Miniatures. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Hand Management, and Measurement Movement. 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 Malifaux are: Dan Weber, Nathan Caroland, and Eric Johns. 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 Malifaux 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.