
- BGG rank
- BGG #31,416
- BGG rating
- 4.9
The Hobbit: The Defeat of Smaug
- 2–6 players
- 30 min
- Complexity 1.3/5
- 2001

1982
Rules assistance for Mid-Life Crisis
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Mid-Life Crisis is a board game released in 1982 for 2–6 players, 60 minutes per game, and ages 18 and up. It was designed by Michael Stern and its main mechanics are Roll / Spin and Move and Dice Rolling.
Objective is to get through your middle years with more money, less stress and fewer divorce points than your opponents or to declare a MID-LIFE CRISIS in which case you must go broke, get divorced and crack up before anyone else reaches the end of the game. The game consists of actioning Crisis Cards, playing ZAP! cards on other players, paying other players for their professional assistance and accumulating (or not!) stress points, divorce points and money.
Mid-Life Crisis supports 2–6 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 Mid-Life Crisis is 60 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 Mid-Life Crisis for ages 18 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.
Mid-Life Crisis has a complexity rating of 1.2 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.
Mid-Life Crisis belongs to these categories: Card Game, Mature / Adult, and Dice. Its main mechanics are Roll / Spin and Move and Dice Rolling. 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 Mid-Life Crisis are: Michael Stern. 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 Mid-Life Crisis 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.