
- BGG rank
- BGG #13,096
- BGG rating
- 6.6
Rise and Fall
- 1–6 players
- 120–360 min
- Complexity 2.4/5
- 1989

1990
Rules assistance for Shattered States
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Shattered States is a board game released in 1990 for 2–6 players and 120 minutes per game. It was designed by Karsten Engelmann and David Spencer and its main mechanics are Area Movement.
The Game to Reunite the United States What if a crisis has split the U.S. into many polarized factions? What would it take to reunite the United States? Played on an area map of the U.S., through skillful play, combined with the luck of the dice and random event cards, players assume control of a faction that is trying to reunite a hypothetical "shattered" U.S. by any means necessary... military or economic. The game is played through a variable number of turns until either a player wins an "automatic" victory (i.e.-controls more than 1/2 the map) or turns are played out in which case the player with the most controlled areas wins.
Shattered States supports 2–6 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 Shattered States is 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.
Shattered States has a complexity rating of 2.3 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.
Shattered States belongs to these categories: Wargame. Its main mechanics are Area Movement. 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 Shattered States are: Karsten Engelmann and David Spencer. 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 Shattered States 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.