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- BGG rating
- 5.9
Master Thief: Cursed Items Exhibition
- 3–6 players
- 15–30 min
- 2017

2017
Rules assistance for Master Thief
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 3 players

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Master Thief is a board game released in 2017 for 3–6 players, 15–30 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Jake Spencer and Jacob Parr and its main mechanics are Take That, Push Your Luck, and Semi-Cooperative Game.
Steal the most valuable items from the museum, foil your opponents' attempts to do the same and escape without getting caught! Press your luck each round by beginning your turn drawing a card from a scattered pile of face-down cards called The Museum. Iconography and Wayfinding will guide you through take-that style strategy in order to foil your opponents. Thief Cards represent what you’re up to in the darkness of the Museum, like sneaking, swiping, stashing and stealing. But while you're collecting loot, remember to keep a close eye on the remaining time and the alerted Security to plan the perfect getaway. Escape from the Museum with the most black market credits (BMC), and pull off the grandest heist of all time!
Master Thief supports 3–6 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 Master Thief is 15–30 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 Master Thief 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.
Master Thief has a complexity rating of 2.0 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.
Master Thief belongs to these categories: Card Game. Its main mechanics are Take That, Push Your Luck, and Semi-Cooperative Game. 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 Master Thief are: Jake Spencer and Jacob Parr. 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 Master Thief 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.