- BGG rating
- 6.6
Quicksand: Danger Mode
- 1–7 players
- 15 min
- 2023
- BGG rank
- BGG #5,567
- BGG rating
- 6.7
Quicksand
2023
Rules assistance for Quicksand
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 1–7 players
- 15 min
- 8+
- Complexity 1.1/5
For 1 player
Rules assistant for Quicksand
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Quicksand is a board game released in 2023 for 1–7 players, 15 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by Lorenzo Silva and Hjalmar Hach and its main mechanics are Cooperative Game.
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About the game
Quicksand is a real-time co-operative game in which players work together to deactivate the "Quicksand", a dangerous trap of gears and sand. You can't just race as quickly as possible, though, because you must avoid setting off the trap. To set up, choose one of the 20+ scenarios, then lay out the gear tiles in the specified path and place the appropriate sand timers — which have different amounts of sand in them — on the first gears of the path. (The path might have obstacles on it based on the particular scenario.) Gears feature both a color (orange, yellow, gray) and a shape (square, circle, crescent). Each player starts with a hand of three cards, with a card showing one of the three colors, one of the three shapes, or a sand timer. Once the game starts, players play a card in turn to try to advance the sand timers and keep them from running out, refilling their hand after they play. When you play a color or shape card, you flip all of the sand timers currently on this color/shape, advancing them one space on the path if that next space is empty. When you play a sand timer card, you flip any one timer, advancing it, if possible. (If no timers are on gears matching the played card, nothing happens.) If a sand timer runs out, flip it and place it next to the gear on which it was previously located. If someone plays a sand timer card, they can recover this timer by flipping and placing it back onto the gear — but only if that tile is empty. If a set-aside timer runs out again, players lose the game. Once a timer reaches the last open space on the path, played cards matching that gear's color/shape will flip it — and if it runs out, you lose the game with no chance of recovery. If the sand timers fill the final gear tiles on the path without this happening, you win!
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Hobby Japan
- Reflexshop
- IELLO
- Horrible Guild
Questions and answers
Quicksand supports 1–7 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 Quicksand 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 Quicksand 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.
Quicksand has a complexity rating of 1.1 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.
Quicksand belongs to these categories: Real-time. Its main mechanics are Cooperative Game. 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 Quicksand are: Lorenzo Silva and Hjalmar Hach. 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 Quicksand 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.