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- BGG #3,858
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- 6.7
Roll for Adventure
- 2–4 players
- 30 min
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- 2018
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- BGG #1,790
- BGG rating
- 7.2
Pioneer Days
2017
Rules assistance for Pioneer Days
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–4 players
- 45–75 min
- 14+
- Complexity 2.5/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Pioneer Days
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Pioneer Days is a board game released in 2017 for 2–4 players, 45–75 minutes per game, and ages 14 and up. It was designed by Matthew Dunstan and Chris Marling and its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Dice Rolling, and Open Drafting.
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About the game
Saddle up and guide your wagon train along the perilous Oregon Trail! Build a team of hardy folk and gather resources and equipment with a unique dice drafting system. But dangers await in the dice you don't choose! You can hire townsfolk, buy wagons, pan for gold, and take on cattle — all the while preparing for inevitable raids, storms and famine. Who will best face the perils of the wild frontier and lead their wagon train to victory? Pioneer Days is a dice-drafting game reminiscent of The Oregon Trail. While you pursue your strategy, you must be prepared for impending disasters such as storms, disease, raids, and famine. Round by round, players draw dice out of the bag, roll them, then take turns drafting one to either collect silver, hire a townsfolk, or take an action based on the die value. Townsfolk confer immediate or constant benefits as well as end game scoring bonuses, while actions help you collect wood, medicine, cattle, equipment, and gold nuggets. The unchosen die each round advances one of the disaster tracks based on its color, and when a disaster gets to the end of its track, all players must deal with its effects: During a raid, you lose half of your silver. During a famine, you need to spend 1 silver per cattle or lose the cattle. During a disease, you need 1 medicine per townsfolk or lose the townsfolk. During a storm, you need 1 wood per wagon or suffer damage to your wagons. At the end of each round, you can satisfy the current town's favor conditions in order to earn their favor. Prepare for the disasters while you pursue your strategy, and earn the most points to win the game!
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- Tasty Minstrel Games
- sternenschimmermeer
- Doit Games
- Atalia
- Sylex
- Fentasy Games
Questions and answers
Pioneer Days supports 2–4 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 Pioneer Days is 45–75 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 Pioneer Days 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.
Pioneer Days has a complexity rating of 2.5 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.
Pioneer Days belongs to these categories: Dice and American West. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Dice Rolling, 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 Pioneer Days are: Matthew Dunstan and Chris Marling. 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 Pioneer Days 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.