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- 7.2
EGO
- 2–5 players
- 40–80 min
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Nightmare Productions
2000
Rules assistance for Nightmare Productions
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–5 players
- 60 min
- 10+
- Complexity 2.1/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Nightmare Productions
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Nightmare Productions is a board game released in 2000 for 2–5 players, 60 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Reiner Knizia and its main mechanics are Auction / Bidding, End Game Bonuses, and Auction: Turn Order Until Pass.
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About the game
Reiner Knizia's auction game about producing movies. In four rounds, players bid on chips representing genuine directors, actors, camera, effects, music, guest stars and agents (or in Nightmare Productions edition: creatures, locations, directors, musical conductors, cameos, and contractors). These all get placed on players' film-strips to complete the movie production. So one movie might need 2 actors (in editions prior to Nightmare Productions), but no music or effects and so on. As films are completed, the points value is marked and another film-strip taken. There are two parties (in Nightmare Productions edition: horror cons) each round where players get to pick from offers without paying anything. There are bonus points for first films completed and best films, best directors (in Nightmare Productions edition: best creatures), even worst film. The auction is a basic rising offer with passing until one winning bid remains. Players pay into the pot with contracts (in Nightmare Productions edition: money), and the rest of the players share the pot each turn. So it's a closed economy with players trying to time to bid on what they really need to complete films. See Movie Comparison - Traumfabrik for listings of movies and actors in each version prior to Nightmare Productions edition. Note: There have been many editions of the game under varying names. All are identical except for Nightmare Productions edition which has introduced a few changes.
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Hasbro
- Competo / Marektoy
- Egmont Polska
- Filosofia Éditions
- Überplay
- Rawstone
- Summon Games
- Ludonova
- Trick or Treat Studios
- Imagine Jogos
Questions and answers
Nightmare Productions 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 Nightmare Productions 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 Nightmare Productions 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.
Nightmare Productions has a complexity rating of 2.1 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.
Nightmare Productions belongs to these categories: Movies / TV / Radio theme. Its main mechanics are Auction / Bidding, End Game Bonuses, and Auction: Turn Order Until Pass. 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 Nightmare Productions are: Reiner Knizia. 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 Nightmare Productions 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.