
- BGG rank
- BGG #30,485
- BGG rating
- 4.6
Pirate's Plunder
- 2–6 players
- 30 min
- Complexity 1.5/5
- 2000

1993
Rules assistance for Plague & Pestilence
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.
Plague & Pestilence is a board game released in 1993 for 2–6 players and 15–45 minutes per game. It was designed by Dawn Payn and Tray Green and its main mechanics are Take That, Dice Rolling, and Open Drafting.
A light card game involving the build-up and destruction of medieval towns. In the "Prosperity" phase, players attempt to build up their populations via stealing from other players or via improvements. Then the Death Ship arrives bearing the plague! In the "Plague" phase, players attempt to kill other players by playing war, pestilence, or other deadly attacks. The cards contain illustrations reminiscent of medieval woodcuts featuring the Grim Reaper.
Plague & Pestilence 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 Plague & Pestilence is 15–45 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.
Plague & Pestilence has a complexity rating of 1.4 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.
Plague & Pestilence belongs to these categories: Card Game and Medieval. Its main mechanics are Take That, 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 Plague & Pestilence are: Dawn Payn and Tray Green. 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 Plague & Pestilence 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.