
- BGG rating
- 7.6
San Quentin Kings: Folsom Blood
- 3–5 players
- 90 min
- Complexity 2.0/5
- 2010

2007
Rules assistance for San Quentin Kings
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 3 players

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Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
San Quentin Kings is a board game released in 2007 for 3–5 players, 90–120 minutes per game, and ages 14 and up. It was designed by Nate Hayden and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Set Collection, and Simultaneous Action Selection.
San Quentin Kings is a resource management game based on the economic system of an American prison. Be the leader of your own prison gang directing members through a series of fights that gain control of different aspects of the prison economy. Controlling the economy gets players respect and other important advantages. Gain the most respect and you will be crowned the King of San Quentin. The game is played in 3 rounds or 'years'. Each year the players have a number of different actions to choose from. Acquire prison knives, get commissary, recruit new members; each year as leader of your prison gang you will have to decide how to best use your members to win the most fights. The more fights you win the more prison resources you control. The more resources you control the more respect you will gain. Be careful or your members will end up in solitary confinement or worse, in the grave! Even if you find yourself running the most powerful gang in the San Quentin beware of the final riot. Who knows what treachery the other gangs may be planning... You can be sure they seek your demise. At games end the players are scored based on what they managed to control in the prison. The more aspects of the prison economy your gang controls the more power and respect you gain. The player's gang with the most respect wins! San Quentin Kings is 3-5 players and runs 90-120 minutes. Ages 14 and up!
San Quentin Kings 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 San Quentin Kings is 90–120 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 San Quentin Kings for ages 14 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.
San Quentin Kings has a complexity rating of 2.6 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.
San Quentin Kings belongs to these categories: Fighting and Economic. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Set Collection, and Simultaneous Action Selection. 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 San Quentin Kings are: Nate Hayden. 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 San Quentin Kings 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.