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- BGG #11,891
- BGG rating
- 6.7
Red North
- 2–4 players
- 25–45 min
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- 2025
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Profiteers
2018
Rules assistance for Profiteers
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 3–5 players
- 30–45 min
- 12+
- Complexity 2.0/5
Rules assistant for Profiteers
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Profiteers is a board game released in 2018 for 3–5 players, 30–45 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by James Dickinson and its main mechanics are Secret Unit Deployment and Stock Holding.
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About the game
It is 1861, and the USA is wracked in Civil War. Great issues are at stake — slavery, states rights, the preservation of the Union — but as a British arms manufacturer, you don't care! As a profiteer, your aim is to make as much money as possible by supplying the troops needed to fight the war with your factories and by speculating in the bonds issued by the Confederacy and the Union to finance their war effort. Profiteers is a strategic speculation game. Players seek to accumulate gold and bonds (the value of which varies according to the progress each side in the war). Players can choose to invest money in arms factories, which give them more bonds and greater influence over the outcomes; simply speculate; or buy up businesses such as coffin makers and hope for a bloody and prolonged conflict. Ultimately the only thing that matters is the final amount of cash in hand when the war ends. The game lasts between three and seven turns, in each of which players first make their investment and production decisions, and then (in reverse order) contribute troops to the outcome of one of the great battles of the US Civil War. The battles are simply resolved and allow for a bit of bluff and negotiation, but they do not attempt to replicate the tactics of the conflict. Those looking for a simulation of "Pickett's Charge" at Gettysburg should probably not buy this game. The game is fast paced and highly interactive as the ability to anticipate or influence other players' strategies is crucial to victory. A long game (where the war is finely balanced and lasts the full seven turns) can take up to 45 minutes; shorter conflicts are finished in less than half an hour.
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Stronghold Games
- La Mame Games
Questions and answers
Profiteers supports 3–5 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 Profiteers is 30–45 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 Profiteers 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.
Profiteers 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.
Profiteers belongs to these categories: Economic and American Civil War. Its main mechanics are Secret Unit Deployment and Stock Holding. 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 Profiteers are: James Dickinson. 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 Profiteers 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.