- BGG rating
- 6.5
Pay Dirt: Old Timer, 1899er Mini-Expansion
- 2–5 players
- Complexity 2.8/5
- 2014
- BGG rank
- BGG #5,239
- BGG rating
- 6.7
Pay Dirt
2014
Rules assistance for Pay Dirt
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–5 players
- 90 min
- 13+
- Complexity 2.6/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Pay Dirt
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Pay Dirt is a board game released in 2014 for 2–5 players, 90 minutes per game, and ages 13 and up. It was designed by Tory Niemann and its main mechanics are Auction / Bidding, Events, and Open Drafting.
Expansions
- BGG rating
- 6.3
Pay Dirt: Spectral Mini-Expansion
- 2–5 players
- Complexity 2.8/5
- 2014
- BGG rating
- 6.4
Pay Dirt: The Last Frontier Mini Expansion
- 2–5 players
- Complexity 2.8/5
- 2014
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About the game
Pay Dirt is an engine-building, worker placement game set in frigid Alaska for 2-5 players. Players are competing to manage and grow their entire mining outfit while acquiring the most gold before the ground is too frozen to dig. The Alaskan countryside is an inhospitable environment, so players will face hardships that affect their entire outfit – not to mention the ever-dropping temperature that will shut down their operation. In Pay Dirt players start with a small basic crew, an unimpressive claim, mediocre equipment and just a little bit of cash to make a go in one of the toughest competitions this side of the globe. Gold mining isn’t cheap and players will have to sell their gold throughout the game to keep the equipment running and their workers happy. Through clever use of their equipment and workers, players can make their mining outfits more efficient and dialed in to their preference of play. Will you recruit heavily and stack your camp with workers or will you keep your eyes on better and more efficient equipment? Will you have what it takes to hit to strike it rich and hit pay dirt?
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- Crash Games
Questions and answers
Pay Dirt 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 Pay Dirt is 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 Pay Dirt for ages 13 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.
Pay Dirt has a complexity rating of 2.6 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.
Pay Dirt belongs to these categories: Industry / Manufacturing and Environmental. Its main mechanics are Auction / Bidding, Events, and Open Drafting. 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 Pay Dirt are: Tory Niemann. 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 Pay Dirt 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.