- BGG rating
- 7.2
Mascarade: Expansion
- 2–13 players
- 30 min
- Complexity 1.3/5
- 2014
- BGG rank
- BGG #1,806
- BGG rating
- 6.6
Mascarade
2013
Rules assistance for Mascarade
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–13 players
- 30 min
- 10+
- Complexity 1.5/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Mascarade
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Mascarade is a board game released in 2013 for 2–13 players, 30 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Bruno Faidutti and its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Memory, and Hidden Roles.
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About the game
Who are you in Mascarade? Whoever you want to be... at least until someone else calls you out on it! Each character receives a face-down role card at the start of the game, and in a game with 4–5 players, some role cards are placed in the center of the table. On a turn, you take one of three actions: Announce your character: Claim the power of a certain character and take the associated action. You don't have to have that character card in front of you to take this action, but if someone else says that they're that character and reveals the card to prove it, that player takes the action instead while you lose one coin to the tribunal. Swap cards or not: Take another player's character card along with yours, place them under the table, shuffle them around a bit, then give one card back to the other player while keeping one for yourself. You (presumably) know whether you changed characters and can have some idea of who you are now, but that other player might be in the dark. Secretly look at your character: Look at your character card to make sure of who you are. Play continues until one player has collected 13 coins and wins – or until a player has lost all of their coins, in which case the player with the most coins wins. Mascarade includes more character cards than the number of players, so not all characters will be used in each game. The rules suggest that you use certain characters in your first games, but once you know the game and its roles, you can try many other configurations.
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- ADC Blackfire Entertainment
- Buró
- asmodee
- Hobby Japan
- Swan Panasia Co., Ltd.
- Jolly Thinkers
- Repos Production
- Asterion Press
Questions and answers
Mascarade supports 2–13 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 Mascarade is 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 Mascarade for ages 10 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.
Mascarade 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.
Mascarade belongs to these categories: Card Game, Party Game, and Bluffing. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Memory, and Hidden Roles. 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 Mascarade are: Bruno Faidutti. 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 Mascarade 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.