- BGG rating
- 6.0
Phantom Ink: Extra Secret Objectives
- 4–8 players
- 2022
- BGG rank
- BGG #1,308
- BGG rating
- 7.4
Phantom Ink
2022
Rules assistance for Phantom Ink
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–8 players
- 10–15 min
- 13+
- Complexity 1.2/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Phantom Ink
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Phantom Ink is a board game released in 2022 for 2–8 players, 10–15 minutes per game, and ages 13 and up. It was designed by Max Seidman and Mary Flanagan and its main mechanics are Deduction, Team-Based Game, and Communication Limits.
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About the game
Renowned media are competing to figure out a secret object and prove they can connect with the "World Beyond". The first team to figure out the secret object wins! To set up Phantom Ink, divide players so that the Sun team and the Moon team each have one Spirit and up to three Media. The media on a team share a hand of seven question cards, and the spirits begin the game by choosing one of the five objects on a card as the secret object. On a turn, the media pass two question cards to their spirit, with sample questions like "What color is it most commonly?", "What fictional character has it or uses it?", and "If it were a musical instrument, what would it be?" The spirit discards one question card face up, then returns the question card it's going to answer to their media, then slowly writes the answer one letter at a time for all to see. As soon as the media think they know what this clue word is, they yell "Silencio", and the spirit stops writing. The other team of media might see only the letter "Y", but if you know the question is "What color is it?", then you know the clue must be "yellow". To end your turn, draw two new question cards. On a turn, instead of handing over question cards, you can attempt to guess the answer — and to do so you write like the spirits, one letter at a time. If you write an incorrect letter, the spirits will stop you, marking out your error, with your partial guess giving the other team more information. If you guess the entire word correctly, you win! Awards & Honors: Game Makers Guild - Seal of Approval The Dice Tower - Seal of Approval
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- Pegasus Spiele
- Gémklub
- Popcorn Games
- Swan Panasia Co., Ltd.
- MINDOK
- Games7Days
- Gigamic
- Portal Games
- Lavka Games
- Pendragon Game Studio
- Allplay
- Alley Cat Games
- MEBO Games
- WindFans Games
- Resonym
Questions and answers
Phantom Ink supports 2–8 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 Phantom Ink is 10–15 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 Phantom Ink 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.
Phantom Ink has a complexity rating of 1.2 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.
Phantom Ink belongs to these categories: Word Game, Party Game, and Deduction. Its main mechanics are Deduction, Team-Based Game, and Communication Limits. 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 Phantom Ink are: Max Seidman and Mary Flanagan. 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 Phantom Ink 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.