- BGG rating
- 8.8
Paupers' Ladder: Christmas in Brighthelm
- 2–4 players
- 45–90 min
- 2019
- BGG rank
- BGG #3,682
- BGG rating
- 7.9
Paupers' Ladder
2019
Rules assistance for Paupers' Ladder
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 1–4 players
- 60–90 min
- 14+
- Complexity 2.2/5
For 1 player
Rules assistant for Paupers' Ladder
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Paupers' Ladder is a board game released in 2019 for 1–4 players, 60–90 minutes per game, and ages 14 and up. It was designed by Paul Stapleton and its main mechanics are Set Collection, Area Movement, and Pick-up and Deliver.
Expansions
- BGG rating
- 8.1
Paupers' Ladder: One Lonely Pauper
- 1 player
- 45–90 min
- Complexity 2.0/5
- 2020
- BGG rating
- 8.4
Paupers' Ladder: The Bodachs of Brighthelm
- 2–4 players
- 60–90 min
- Complexity 2.0/5
- 2020
- BGG rating
- 8.5
Paupers' Ladder: The Moonlighters
- 2–4 players
- 45–90 min
- 2020
- BGG rating
- 7.0
Paupers' Ladder: Bon-bons
- 1–4 players
- 30–60 min
- 2021
- BGG rating
- 8.3
Paupers' Ladder: The Moon Towers
- 1–4 players
- 45–90 min
- Complexity 2.0/5
- 2022
- BGG rating
- 8.2
Paupers' Ladder: The Gift Bearers
- 1–4 players
- 45–90 min
- Complexity 2.0/5
- 2023
- BGG rating
- 8.7
Paupers' Ladder: This Cobbled Isle
- 1–4 players
- 45–90 min
- Complexity 2.0/5
- 2023
- BGG rating
- 8.3
Paupers' Ladder: The Rootwings
- 1–4 players
- 45–90 min
- Complexity 2.0/5
- 2024
- BGG rating
- 8.9
Paupers' Medley
- 1–4 players
- 30–90 min
- Complexity 2.0/5
- 2026
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About the game
Garolium Scraggart, beloved ruler of the people, has died. Despite an upbringing of real hardship she rose to the highest rank in the royal court and did what she could to make sure the poorest in Brighthelm were not forgotten. She died too young, her work half done. A tournament has been announced to find her successor. Brave knights have travelled down royal highways. Bold paladins have knocked on royal doors. So too have bards, lords and heroes. All looking to take over Scraggart’s reign and rule the realm to their desires. And every one of them has been sent back to whence they came. Because Garolium herself had devised the tournament. It was the last thing she did, and she decreed it would only be open to those of the most limited means. Those whose potential had been locked by the chains of ill-fortune and poverty. Brighthelm's paupers. She had spent her whole life building their ladder and nobody was going to kick it away. In Paupers' Ladder, players are a pauper in Garolium's tournament. Along with your bird companion, explore the wild and treacherous land of Brighthelm as you strive to learn three of the five virtues: generosity, fellowship, bravery, knowledge, and magnificence. Battle a bestiary of creatures, undertake quests, find ingredients to craft powerful recipes, and discover the sights and wonders of an exciting new world along the way. But beware! You're not the only pauper in town. the land of Brighthelm is illustrated with a playing board and over 400 cards depicting equipment, quests, recipes, monsters, ingredients, encounters, cities, villages and more besides. On your turn you use both your Pauper and your Bird, in either order. Each character may move from the Region they occupy into any adjoining Region, or stay where they are. Paupers’ can pay to travel extra Regions. Your character now explores the Region they occupy. The aim of Paupers’ Ladder is to learn any 3 of the 5 Virtues. Virtues are learned in different ways. For instance, you learn the Virtue of generosity by discarding a certain amount of gems from your purse. When a player has learned 3 Virtues, they have won the game.
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- Spielefaible
- Bedsit Games
Questions and answers
Paupers' Ladder supports 1–4 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 Paupers' Ladder is 60–90 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 Paupers' Ladder 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.
Paupers' Ladder 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.
Paupers' Ladder belongs to these categories: Fantasy, Fighting, and Exploration. Its main mechanics are Set Collection, Area Movement, and Pick-up and Deliver. 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 Paupers' Ladder are: Paul Stapleton. 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 Paupers' Ladder 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.