- BGG rating
- 8.5
Paper 'Mech: Factory
- 1 player
- 20–40 min
- Complexity 3.0/5
- 2016
- BGG rank
- BGG #14,422
- BGG rating
- 7.8
Paper 'Mech
2016
Rules assistance for Paper 'Mech
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 1 player
- 20–40 min
- 12+
- Complexity 2.4/5
For 1 player
Rules assistant for Paper 'Mech
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Paper 'Mech is a board game released in 2016 for 1 player, 20–40 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Chris Alton and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Paper-and-Pencil, and Simulation.
Expansions
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About the game
From the publisher: Paper 'Mech is a solitaire game where you play a lone 'mech pilot tasked with holding off 4 waves of attackers, each successive wave increasing in difficulty. Every action in the game has an associated time cost, with the more complex or powerful actions requiring a larger amount of time to perform. Your enemy also choose actions with varying time costs so the strategy comes in choosing actions wisely to best deal with impending threats. Attack actions can also be hasted, which reduces the time cost but incurs a penalty to their accuracy - the more hastily you execute an attack the more erratic your aim will be. Attacks are resolved by throwing a number of dice equal to the power of the attack - each dice which exceeds the armour value of the target causes a point of damage. The performance of your 'mech will degrade as damage is received but you get the opportunity to repair in between enemy waves. There are currently 13 weapons to choose from, with 4 mounting points on your 'mech so there is plenty of variety to be found - you can also beef up the armour on your legs and torso but watch out for your overall weight! If you exceed the maximum it will slow down all your actions. In addition to the rules and play sheet, you will need the following to play the game:- A pencil An eraser 12 cubes (3 each of 4 different colours) 1 dice of a particular colour (suggest red) 1 dice of a different colour (suggest blue) Several dice of another different colour (ideally 6-8, suggest white) This was an entry into the 2016 1 Page PNP Design Contest:- Winner 'Best Overall Design' 2nd Place 'Most Innovative Mechanic' 2nd Place 'Best Written Rules' 2nd Place 'Most Thematic'
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- (Self-Published)
Questions and answers
Paper 'Mech supports 1 player according to the catalogue. This is the publisher’s listed player count, so the game is designed for exactly that number of participants. Variants for other group sizes, if any, are described in the rulebook of your edition, so check it before setting up a different configuration.
The listed playing time for Paper 'Mech is 20–40 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 Paper 'Mech 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.
Paper 'Mech has a complexity rating of 2.4 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.
Paper 'Mech belongs to these categories: Wargame, Print & Play, and Science Fiction. Its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Paper-and-Pencil, and Simulation. 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 Paper 'Mech are: Chris Alton. 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 Paper 'Mech 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.