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- BGG #1,787
- BGG rating
- 7.1
Löwenherz
- 2–4 players
- 60–90 min
- Complexity 2.8/5
- 1997
- BGG rank
- BGG #5,313
- BGG rating
- 6.6
Mapmaker: The Gerrymandering Game
2019
Rules assistance for Mapmaker: The Gerrymandering Game
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 1–4 players
- 30–45 min
- 8+
- Complexity 1.7/5
Rules assistant for Mapmaker: The Gerrymandering Game
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Mapmaker: The Gerrymandering Game is a board game released in 2019 for 1–4 players, 30–45 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by Louis Lafair, Joshua Lafair, and Becca Lafair and its main mechanics are Area Majority / Influence and Enclosure.
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About the game
You are a mapmaker, which means you make maps… and determine who wins elections. You belong to a political party: Red Elephants, Blue Donkeys, Yellow Porcupines, or Green Leaves. Your only job? Make sure your party wins the next election. You get to redraw the districts. But so do the other mapmakers. Everyone starts with the same number of voters, spread across counties. Players each place four district borders per turn. When a district gets closed off, whoever has the most voters inside claims it. At the end of the game, the entire board will be sectioned into districts. The party with the most districts wins. If there’s a tie, the party with the most swing counties wins. You must scramble to draw the best lines first. Can you crack and pack voters? Can you scheme and strategize? Can you create unfair, lopsided, strangely shaped districts that will guarantee your party’s victory? Mapmaker: The Gerrymandering Game is fast to learn and fast to play. It’s full of surprises, maneuvers, and outmaneuvers. It’s a hands-on way to try out gerrymandering yourself. -description from designer
Categories
Mechanics
Publishers
- Go! Games
- Lafair Family Games
Questions and answers
Mapmaker: The Gerrymandering Game 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 Mapmaker: The Gerrymandering Game is 30–45 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 Mapmaker: The Gerrymandering Game 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.
Mapmaker: The Gerrymandering Game has a complexity rating of 1.7 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.
Mapmaker: The Gerrymandering Game belongs to these categories: Abstract Strategy and Political. Its main mechanics are Area Majority / Influence and Enclosure. 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 Mapmaker: The Gerrymandering Game are: Louis Lafair, Joshua Lafair, and Becca Lafair. 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 Mapmaker: The Gerrymandering Game 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.