- BGG rank
- BGG #10,756
- BGG rating
- 7.3
Blades & Rose
- 5–10 players
- 15–25 min
- Complexity 1.8/5
- 2023
- BGG rank
- BGG #10,413
- BGG rating
- 6.5
PASS
2023
Rules assistance for PASS
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–5 players
- 15 min
- 14+
- Complexity 1.5/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for PASS
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
PASS is a board game released in 2023 for 2–5 players, 15 minutes per game, and ages 14 and up. It was designed by Yu Wang and its main mechanics are Hand Management and Ladder Climbing.
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About the game
PASS is a ladder-climbing game in which each card has a potentially upgraded side with another value. Players may pass their turn to take a PASS token and use it in a later round to turn a card to its upgraded side. More specifically, cards are dual-indexed, with different values on each half of the card, with the 65 cards having possible combinations of the numbers A-K. During set-up, the cards is shuffled and dealt into decks. Each deck will have exactly 13 cards. Players randomly choose a deck as their hands. Whoever has the card "START 2" will be the first player to play a set of card(s). During their turn, the active player takes one of two actions: Play: The active player chooses card(s) in their hand that comply with a type of defined set in the game, and then plays this set of cards to the table. A player can only choose to play if i) the table is empty (as if he/she is the first to play) or ii) the played set is ranked higher than the set currently on the table. A set is considered to outrank previously played set if it were a same type of set with higher value. A player may also outrank the previously played set with a same type of set having the same value by exhausting one PASS token. The next player may do the same, however, by exhausting even one more PASS token. Pass: The active player takes a PASS token. The pass token can be used in a future turn to augment a played set, or to turn one of the cards in a played set to its upgraded side. The plays who plays all his/her hand first will gain a victory token and all cards will be reshuffled and dealt again. Whoever has 3 victory tokens first wins the game.
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Board Game Rookie
- Grand Gamers Guild
Questions and answers
PASS 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 PASS is 15 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 PASS for ages 14 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.
PASS 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.
PASS belongs to these categories: Number. Its main mechanics are Hand Management and Ladder Climbing. 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 PASS are: Yu Wang. 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 PASS 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.