
- BGG rank
- BGG #11,666
- BGG rating
- 6.2
Split Personality
- 4–30 players
- 20 min
- Complexity 1.1/5
- 2006

2003
Rules assistance for Schwarzarbeit
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 3 players

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Schwarzarbeit is a board game released in 2003 for 3–5 players, 45 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Friedemann Friese and Andrea Meyer and its main mechanics are Memory.
The players employ 2 or 3 moonlighters each. They try to find the other moonlighters and to score by then employing legal employees and by denouncing illegal employees. The cards show wanna-be game designers such as "Klaus Knizia" and "Maureen Moon", who are willing to work in the players' game-related shops and factories. Deduction and combination skills as well as intuition are needed to make the most of your turn. Memory helps, but is not the only requirement to be the winner. Lawyers and private detectives add speed and memory factors to this game with deductive elements.
Schwarzarbeit 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 Schwarzarbeit is 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 Schwarzarbeit 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.
Schwarzarbeit has a complexity rating of 1.6 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.
Schwarzarbeit belongs to these categories: Card Game, Deduction, and Memory. Its main mechanics are Memory. 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 Schwarzarbeit are: Friedemann Friese and Andrea Meyer. 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 Schwarzarbeit 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.