
- BGG rank
- BGG #2
- BGG rating
- 8.5
Ark Nova
- 1–4 players
- 90–150 min
- Complexity 3.8/5
- 2021

2017
Rules assistance for Mind the Gap
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.
Mind the Gap is a board game released in 2017 for 2–8 players, 10–20 minutes per game, and ages 6 and up. Its main mechanics are Hand Management.
Players have a hand of cards, each representing stations on the London Underground. Each card shows the coloured underground lines served by that station. Some stations will be intersections of numerous lines, others will be on a single line. The first player lays a card face up and players in turn play cards that are on a line that matches that of the previous card. If they cannot lay a card, they draw a card. The winner is the first player to exhaust their hand. There are special cards that use phrases that will be well known to London Underground travellers and which affect game play. For example, 'Planned Engineering Works' allows a player to specify a line that is 'closed' and so cannot be played until that player's next turn. The short rules include a variant that allows multi-game scoring. The cards replicate the iconic design of the London Underground map, and the game is licensed by Transport for London. It comes in a tin box that replicates the London Underground symbol (red circle crossed with a blue bar).
Mind the Gap supports 2–8 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 Mind the Gap is 10–20 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 Mind the Gap for ages 6 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.
Mind the Gap has a complexity rating of 1.0 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.
Mind the Gap belongs to these categories: Card Game. Its main mechanics are Hand Management. 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 catalogue lists Mind the Gap 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.