- BGG rank
- BGG #4,687
- BGG rating
- 6.4
Madame Ching
- 2–4 players
- 30–45 min
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- 2014
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- BGG rating
- 6.0
Pocket Madness
2016
Rules assistance for Pocket Madness
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–4 players
- 30 min
- 8+
- Complexity 1.3/5
Rules assistant for Pocket Madness
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Pocket Madness is a board game released in 2016 for 2–4 players, 30 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by Bruno Cathala and Ludovic Maublanc and its main mechanics are Hand Management and Set Collection.
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About the game
In Pocket Madness, you'll meet nice people like Shub-Niggurath, visit lovely places like Innsmouth, and cross the path of friendly creatures such as the Shoggoths. Pocket Madness is a fast-paced card game inspired by the writings of H.P. Lovecraft, known worldwide for his short story "The Call of Cthulhu". In the game, you evoke the powers of the Ancient Ones to drive your fellow cultists mad while securing your path to victory. To play, you first deal each player two cards from a deck that contains cards numbered 6-12, then you count out 17 face-down cards, flip the remainder face up, shuffle the deck, then lay it out in a row so that all players can see the cards. On a turn, you either take 1-3 cards, open a portal, or open an investigation. When you take card, you pick up the first 1-3 cards in the row, then add them to your hand. To open a portal, you lay down three or more cards of the same type, then take the portal matching the number on those cards. Each portal has a different power, and you can use any one portal power on your turn. If someone else claims a portal that you own, too bad! You just lost the portal! To open an investigation, discard cards numbered 6-12, after which every other player gains as many madness tokens as the number of investigations this round. A round ends when one player runs out of cards or the card row runs out. In the latter case, everyone takes one final turn, then all players gain madness tokens equal to the number of different types of cards in their hand. If a player empties their hand, that player loses half of their madness tokens while everyone else gains one. The game ends the round that a player has collected ten or more madness tokens.
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Arclight Games
- Broadway Toys LTD
- Korea Boardgames
- SD Games
- Funforge
- Mancalamaro
- Gemenot
Questions and answers
Pocket Madness 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 Pocket Madness is 30 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 Pocket Madness for ages 8 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.
Pocket Madness has a complexity rating of 1.3 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.
Pocket Madness belongs to these categories: Card Game and Horror. Its main mechanics are Hand Management and Set Collection. 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 Pocket Madness are: Bruno Cathala and Ludovic Maublanc. 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 Pocket Madness 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.