- BGG rank
- BGG #1,401
- BGG rating
- 7.1
Stick 'Em
- 3–8 players
- 30–60 min
- Complexity 1.9/5
- 1993
- BGG rank
- BGG #6,650
- BGG rating
- 6.8
Plotters, Inc.
1999
Rules assistance for Plotters, Inc.
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 4–6 players
- 60 min
- 10+
- Complexity 1.9/5
For 4 players
Rules assistant for Plotters, Inc.
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Plotters, Inc. is a board game released in 1999 for 4–6 players, 60 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Klaus Palesch and its main mechanics are Trick-taking.
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About the game
Plotters, Inc., first released as Mit List und Tücke ("With Cunning and Treachery"), is a trick-taking game with quite a few twists. The deck consists of cards in four suits, and the deck is adjusted based on the player count so that everyone receives a hand of 14 cards to begin a round. At the start of a trick, the lead player plays any card, setting trump for that trick. Each other player plays any card that they like — except that once three colors of cards have been played, the fourth color cannot be played. Whoever plays the highest trump card wins the trick and collects two of the cards played (or three cards in a game with five or six players), placing these cards in front of them. Whoever plays the lowest non-trump card collects the remaining cards; this player leads to the next trick. Once a player has cards of all four colors in front of them, they must choose two colors and leave cards of this color face up, placing all other cards face down. As they collect more cards, they place them face up or face down based on their colors. The round ends after 14 tricks or when a player would be forced to play a card of the fourth color to a trick; in this latter case, the round ends immediately. Each player then scores the cards they've collected. For their two face-up colors, they multiply these numbers together; they then divide this product by the number of cards that they placed face down, rounding this number down. For example, if you have 6 yellow cards, 4 red cards, and 2 blue cards, then you have (6 • 4)/2 = 12 points. If you collect cards of only one color, then you score 0 points! Play as many rounds as the number of players. Whoever has the highest total score wins!
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- BoardM Factory
- Berliner Spielkarten
- Playte
- 数寄ゲームズ (Suki Games)
Questions and answers
Plotters, Inc. supports 4–6 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 Plotters, Inc. is 60 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 Plotters, Inc. for ages 10 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.
Plotters, Inc. has a complexity rating of 1.9 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.
Plotters, Inc. belongs to these categories: Card Game. Its main mechanics are Trick-taking. 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 Plotters, Inc. are: Klaus Palesch. 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 Plotters, Inc. 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.