- BGG rank
- BGG #1,115
- BGG rating
- 6.8
Cockroach Poker
- 2–6 players
- 20 min
- Complexity 1.1/5
- 2004
- BGG rank
- BGG #15,735
- BGG rating
- 7.6
Payback
2025
Rules assistance for Payback
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–6 players
- 10–20 min
- 7+
- Complexity 1.0/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Payback
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Payback is a board game released in 2025 for 2–6 players, 10–20 minutes per game, and ages 7 and up. It was designed by Karel Psota and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Push Your Luck, and Single Loser Game.
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About the game
This is a modded version of Palace, also known as Shithead or Karma. We made it more intuitive so kids can pick it up easily. We also made it more vengeful by introducing mechanics to get back at the person on your right (the one who's usually bullying you). Here are some of the changes: Redesigned and simplified the card hierarchy: 1 to 10. No suits, no color, no faces, no aces. Special cards now have unique designs instead of numbers (BURN, RESET, GHOST). New special cards were added to get back at the person on your right: SKIP, MIRROR. This increases the deck size from 52 to 58 cards. Rules were modified to speed up gameplay. If you lose with a face-up card, you take it with the pile. If the 1st place player is out of the game, they can decide that 3 cards make a BURN, instead of 4. Expansion includes spell cards. These cards can reveal game information or cast spells on other players. For example, if they don’t address you with a silly name, they have to pick up the pile. Card sizes are increased to 7 cm by 10 cm. Game modes have been added to introduce gambling and drinking mechanics. Roulette mode: All the cards are placed face-down in a giant circle. The art was drawn in MS Paint and features bold, flashy graphics, with big influences from Keith Haring and Justice, the band. —description from the designer
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- (Self-Published)
Questions and answers
Payback supports 2–6 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 Payback is 10–20 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 Payback for ages 7 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.
Payback has a complexity rating of 1.0 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.
Payback belongs to these categories: Card Game, Party Game, and Bluffing. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Push Your Luck, and Single Loser Game. 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 Payback are: Karel Psota. 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 Payback 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.