
- BGG rank
- BGG #8,202
- BGG rating
- 7.5
Masters of Crime: Vendetta
- 1–6 players
- 120–240 min
- Complexity 2.0/5
- 2021

2025
Rules assistance for NEXT
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.
NEXT is a board game released in 2025 for 2–5 players, 15–30 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Lukas Setzke and Verena Wiechens and its main mechanics are Spelling, Cooperative Game, and Drawing.
NEXT is quick to play and easy to explain: Each person thinks of a chain of 6-8 words that the team must later guess. However, they only have the first letter of each word to go by. Sounds easy? It is! All you need is a little creativity and a good sense of your fellow players. NEXT is a cooperative word game full of surprising associations, bizarre trains of thought, and sudden moments of revelation. Each letter brings you a step closer—or to completely new ideas. Whether as a quick party game or a campaign with 30 varied scenarios, NEXT is as flexible as you are! With each successfully completed scenario, the difficulty level increases. Can you coordinate as a group and master all the challenges? —description from the publisher
NEXT supports 2–5 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 NEXT 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 NEXT for ages 12 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.
NEXT 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.
NEXT belongs to these categories: Word Game and Party Game. Its main mechanics are Spelling, Cooperative Game, and Drawing. 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 NEXT are: Lukas Setzke and Verena Wiechens. 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 NEXT 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.