- BGG rating
- 6.9
Politics as Usual: Unusual Suspects
- 2–6 players
- 60 min
- Complexity 1.0/5
- 2008
- BGG rank
- BGG #27,004
- BGG rating
- 5.7
Politics as Usual
2005
Rules assistance for Politics as Usual
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–6 players
- 60 min
- 12+
- Complexity 1.6/5
Rules assistant for Politics as Usual
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Politics as Usual is a board game released in 2005 for 2–6 players, 60 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Dan Verssen and its main mechanics are Hand Management and Trading.
Expansions
Similar games
- BGG rank
- BGG #2,035
- BGG rating
- 7.9
Warfighter: The WWII Tactical Combat Card Game
- 1–6 players
- 30–90 min
- Complexity 3.1/5
- 2016
- BGG rank
- BGG #2,148
- BGG rating
- 7.7
Warfighter: The Tactical Special Forces Card Game
- 1–6 players
- 30–180 min
- Complexity 2.7/5
- 2014
- BGG rank
- BGG #4,998
- BGG rating
- 7.0
Zero!: The Rise and Fall of The Imperial Japanese Air Force Dec 1941 - June 1942
- 2–10 players
- 60 min
- Complexity 2.3/5
- 2001
- BGG rank
- BGG #5,092
- BGG rating
- 7.1
Rise of the Luftwaffe
- 2–8 players
- 20 min
- Complexity 2.1/5
- 1993
- BGG rank
- BGG #5,564
- BGG rating
- 8.0
Warfighter: The WWII Pacific Combat Card Game
- 1–6 players
- 45–240 min
- Complexity 3.1/5
- 2019
- BGG rank
- BGG #6,325
- BGG rating
- 6.7
7th Sea Collectible Card Game
- 2–6 players
- 45 min
- Complexity 2.5/5
- 1998
- BGG rank
- BGG #7,235
- BGG rating
- 7.0
Down in Flames: Aces High
- 2–6 players
- 45 min
- Complexity 2.1/5
- 2008
- BGG rank
- BGG #7,478
- BGG rating
- 8.1
Warfighter Shadow War: The Modern Night Combat Card Game
- 1–6 players
- 30–90 min
- Complexity 3.9/5
- 2019
- BGG rank
- BGG #7,570
- BGG rating
- 6.5
Modern Naval Battles
- 2–6 players
- 90 min
- Complexity 2.2/5
- 1989
- BGG rank
- BGG #8,111
- BGG rating
- 6.6
Frontline: D-Day
- 1–4 players
- 60 min
- Complexity 2.5/5
- 2010
- BGG rank
- BGG #8,971
- BGG rating
- 6.5
Lightning: Midway – June 4th to June 6th, 1942
- 2 players
- 30 min
- Complexity 1.7/5
- 2004
- BGG rank
- BGG #9,181
- BGG rating
- 7.8
Down in Flames: Locked-On
- 1–6 players
- 15–30 min
- Complexity 1.9/5
- 2018
About the game
Politics As Usual is a fast paced card game with mass market appeal that makes each player a candidate campaigning to be President of the United States. Players battle to control Votes, launch Slander attacks, and play cards to gain an Edge. Gather enough Votes and you get to be President! You can even play cards for other players! Let's say a controversial Issue comes up that is worth negative points. After all, there are some topics that no matter what you say, you're going to lose voters. Wouldn't it be handy if one of your opponents gave a Good Speech on the issue? Each player is given a Candidate card at the start of the game representing a well know political persona. Each Candidate card has a built in special ability and Favor points. A revolutionary part of the game design is the introduction of "Favor" points. Each player starts the game with a couple Favor chips, and players may trade them back and forth as they wish. There are no rules governing the trading of Favors. Here's the cool part, at the end of the game, every Favor that you have that came from another player counts as a Vote. Your own Favor chips do nothing for you at the end of the game! Wheel and deal! Gather political favors and be the power all others seek in desperate times, and at the end of the day, you'll be seated in the Oval Office! Some have said this seems to make the point that political favors are just as important as votes in American Politics. Is this a bad thing? Maybe, but it's certainly Politics As Usual! Expanded by: Politics as Usual: Unusual Suspects
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- One Small Step
Questions and answers
Politics as Usual 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 Politics as Usual 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 Politics as Usual for ages 12 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.
Politics as Usual has a complexity rating of 1.6 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.
Politics as Usual belongs to these categories: Card Game, Humor, and Political. Its main mechanics are Hand Management and Trading. 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 Politics as Usual are: Dan Verssen. 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 Politics as Usual 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.