
- BGG rank
- BGG #25,570
- BGG rating
- 5.7
Timestreams: Deck 2 – Medieval vs. Modern Day
- 2–6 players
- 30 min
- Complexity 2.8/5
- 2009

2016
Rules assistance for Phase
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 2 players

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Phase is a board game released in 2016 for 2–5 players, 20–40 minutes per game, and ages 14 and up. It was designed by Bryan Reese and Jeremy Holcomb.
In Phase, players take actions to bring powerful champions into the struggle to control the Nexus. These cards have a duality: good and evil, light and dark, etc. Cards "phase" from side to side as the game is played, creating wild swings of power that allow players to quickly shift from attack to defense and create all sorts of fun combos. Phase was announced as a collectible card game in 2010, but will be released as a boxed set of more than three hundred cards. This was the only game that came in AEG Black Box 2016.
Phase 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 Phase is 20–40 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 Phase 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.
Phase has a complexity rating of 2.0 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.
Phase belongs to these categories: Card Game. Categories describe the theme, setting and style of a game rather than its rules. Filter the catalogue by the same category to find similar games when you enjoyed Phase and want something comparable for your next game night.
The credited designers of Phase are: Bryan Reese and Jeremy Holcomb. 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 Phase 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.