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Power Play: Schemes & Skulduggery
2014
Rules assistance for Power Play: Schemes & Skulduggery
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 4–8 players
- 60–180 min
- 13+
- Complexity 2.0/5
Rules assistant for Power Play: Schemes & Skulduggery
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Power Play: Schemes & Skulduggery is a board game released in 2014 for 4–8 players, 60–180 minutes per game, and ages 13 and up. It was designed by John Parmalee and its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Storytelling, and Voting.
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About the game
Power Play: Schemes & Skulduggery is a new kind of storytelling game, a "Competitive Narrative Game". In the game, you will take on the role of a supernatural mastermind with a villainous plot to execute. The first to put all the pieces of his secret plot into place can declare himself the winner! Power Play: Schemes & Skulduggery is not a role-playing game. You will not act out your character's actions, you will not need to adhere to any in-game moral code or class restrictions, and you will not need to keep your out-of-game knowledge separate from your in-game knowledge. On your turns, simply dictate your actions, and they come to pass. Utilize secret actions, your supernatural powers, the resources of your vast agency, and superior planning to gain an advantage and be the first to complete your objective. Power Play: Schemes & Skulduggery is underhanded, unrestricted supervillainy in a free-form, open environment. We like to think of it as "the Grand Theft Auto of storytelling games".
Designers
Publishers
- Level 99 Games
Questions and answers
Power Play: Schemes & Skulduggery supports 4–8 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 Power Play: Schemes & Skulduggery is 60–180 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 Power Play: Schemes & Skulduggery for ages 13 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.
Power Play: Schemes & Skulduggery has a complexity rating of 2.0 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-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.
Power Play: Schemes & Skulduggery belongs to these categories: Comic Book / Strip, Murder / Mystery, and Mafia. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Storytelling, and Voting. 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 Power Play: Schemes & Skulduggery are: John Parmalee. 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 Power Play: Schemes & Skulduggery 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.