- BGG rating
- 6.2
Q.E.: Fifth Player Expansion
- 5 players
- 45–60 min
- 2018
- BGG rank
- BGG #5,901
- BGG rating
- 7.3
Q.E.
2017
Rules assistance for Q.E.
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 3–4 players
- 45–60 min
- 8+
- Complexity 1.8/5
For 3 players
Rules assistant for Q.E.
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Q.E. is a board game released in 2017 for 3–4 players, 45–60 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by Gavin Birnbaum and its main mechanics are Auction / Bidding.
Expansions
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About the game
Financial crisis has occurred. Sixteen "too big to fail" companies from four countries need bailing out. The central banks have unlimited financial resources, so lots of money is going to be printed, but the central banks also face disaster — print too much money and the country they represent goes bust. In Q.E., you play the role of a central bank. You bid on different size companies to accumulate various levels of victory points. The amount you bid is unlimited since you are the central bank and you own the printing press! After the initial "open" bid by the lead player, the other players bid in secret. After the sixteen companies have been "bailed out", bonus victory points are awarded for company sets of nationalization, monopolization and diversification. Player markers on the scoring track now reveal which player has the most victory points, but this is not the end. Players must now add up the amount of money they printed and the player who printed the most money loses all their victory points! Q.E. stands for Quantitative Easing.
Questions and answers
Q.E. supports 3–4 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 Q.E. is 45–60 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 Q.E. 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.
Q.E. has a complexity rating of 1.8 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.
Q.E. belongs to these categories: Economic. Its main mechanics are Auction / Bidding. 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 Q.E. are: Gavin Birnbaum. 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 Q.E. 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.