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- 6.7
Sanitarium: The Foyer
- 1–4 players
- 30 min
- 2013
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- BGG #28,987
- BGG rating
- 5.4
Sanitarium
2012
Rules assistance for Sanitarium
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 1–4 players
- 30–45 min
- 14+
- Complexity 1.9/5
Rules assistant for Sanitarium
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Sanitarium is a board game released in 2012 for 1–4 players, 30–45 minutes per game, and ages 14 and up. It was designed by Aaron Belmer and its main mechanics are Area Movement, Modular Board, and Cooperative Game.
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About the game
You awaken in a cold, dark and dreary room. You know, somehow, that you're in a sanitarium, but you don't know why you know, or how you got here. All you want to do is escape. Dark hallways extend in all directions, and the shadows themselves seem to swirl and twist menacingly. Fear and confusion grips you, but before you succumb to insanity, a memory returns. Safe things...things that you need...things that will make you whole, and let you escape. They are what you need to find, what you must find... Sanitarium is a card-driven horror escape game. At the start of the game, each player is dealt three to six (of 13, depending on the number of players) 'Safe Things' cards. Finding those specific items will allow escape from the Sanitarium. The cards form the map of the winding hallways, items scattered all over. Players must explore the layout (which will differ with each play) to find items that provide them useful powers, and also their Safe Things. Dark Hallways within the Sanitarium will spawn shadows, which will in turn chase the players. Getting caught by a shadow might earn you a hallucination. Hallucinations...are bad. The enemy of the players is time. The deck of item and event cards is the timer for the game -- when it runs out, everyone still inside succumbs to their madness! Sanitarium is fast-paced and easy to learn. It plays in 30-45 minutes. Coop, competitive, and solo scenarios are all provided.
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- Asmadi Games
Questions and answers
Sanitarium supports 1–4 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 Sanitarium 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 Sanitarium 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.
Sanitarium has a complexity rating of 1.9 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.
Sanitarium belongs to these categories: Card Game, Horror, and Exploration. Its main mechanics are Area Movement, Modular Board, and 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 Sanitarium are: Aaron Belmer. 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 Sanitarium 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.