
- BGG rank
- BGG #22,645
- BGG rating
- 5.9
Book of Dragons
- 1–8 players
- 15–60 min
- Complexity 1.3/5
- 2018

1800
Rules assistance for Napoleon
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.
Napoleon is a board game released in 1800 for 2–6 players and 60 minutes per game. Its main mechanics are Auction / Bidding, Secret Unit Deployment, and Team-Based Game.
Napoleon is a 5-6 player standard deck playing card game with shifting and secret partnerships. A standard deck of cards is dealt evenly, with the remaining cards being placed in the kitty. Players bid on the number of face cards that will be captured by their team. The player with the highest bid becomes Napoleon. Upon winning the bid, Napoleon names trump, the secretary card and may exchange cards with the kitty. The owner of the secretary card becomes Napoleon's secretary. The secretary's identity is kept hidden from all players, including Napoleon. Napoleon and Napoleon's secretary must meet or exceed their bid to score points, the other players must block Napoleon and his Secretary from reaching their bid count to score. Many different point systems and variants are used for this game.
Napoleon 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 Napoleon 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.
Napoleon has a complexity rating of 2.2 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.
Napoleon belongs to these categories: Card Game. Its main mechanics are Auction / Bidding, Secret Unit Deployment, and Team-Based 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 catalogue lists Napoleon 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.