
- BGG rank
- BGG #1,376
- BGG rating
- 6.9
When I Dream
- 4–10 players
- 20–40 min
- Complexity 1.2/5
- 2016

2020
Rules assistance for Poisons
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Poisons is a board game released in 2020 for 3–8 players, 15 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by Bruno Faidutti and Chris Darsaklis and its main mechanics are Take That and Push Your Luck.
Welcome to the party! Please, have a drink. There’s only a slight chance that one of the other guests have poisoned it! Will you take the risk? Poisons is a bluff-based card game in which players have to carefully weight their risks to earn points. Each turn, players secretly add a card from their hand to each opponent's drink: an innocuous liquid or a deadly poison. When everyone has their cup filled, each player decides whether they will drink the contents of their cup. Those who don't dare to sip the mixture gain only a minimal amount of points. Those who drink their cup score the number of points revealed at the beginning of their turn, but beware if there's a single dose of poison in the glass, they get nothing! After four rounds of libations, the player with the most points win. Advanced rules add new kinds of drinks with special effects, for an even deeper mind game between the players. —description from the publisher
Poisons supports 3–8 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 Poisons is 15 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 Poisons 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.
Poisons has a complexity rating of 1.0 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.
Poisons belongs to these categories: Card Game, Party Game, and Bluffing. Its main mechanics are Take That and Push Your Luck. 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 Poisons are: Bruno Faidutti and Chris Darsaklis. 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 Poisons 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.