
- BGG rank
- BGG #4
- BGG rating
- 8.5
Gloomhaven
- 1–4 players
- 60–120 min
- Complexity 3.9/5
- 2017

2019
Rules assistance for Sidekick Saga
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 1 player

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Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Sidekick Saga is a board game released in 2019 for 1–4 players, 60–90 minutes per game, and ages 14 and up. It was designed by Richard T. Saunders and its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Hand Management, and Simultaneous Action Selection.
One morning, the city of New Dover woke up to discover that all the powerful Super Heroes had disappeared! Where did they all go? No one seems to know what happened to them! The Gangs, Thugs, Minions, and Villains of New Dover immediately noticed the power vacuum in the city and began to assert themselves. The city is reeling from their attacks! What can be done? The Sidekicks of the Super Heroes haven't given up the fight! They know they aren't as powerful as the Bad Guys, but they are courageous and resourceful. They know where the Heroes have helpful technologies, weapons, and devices. To help each other out, the Sidekicks have set-up supply lines between themselves to share useful things! They will protect New Dover! And maybe along the way, they can find out what happened to the Super Heroes... This is their story: this is The Sidekick Saga. Sidekick Saga is a cooperative adventure, combat, and exploration game for 1-4 players (ages 13 and up). It takes 60-90 minutes for one game. There is also an ongoing story to find the missing Super Heroes! For 2--4 players, each player takes control of one of the Sidekick characters in the game. A solo player will take control of two Sidekick characters and will play them both as if it were a 2-Player game. The players work together to defeat the current Villain and their Villain Forces. This is a cooperative game: the Sidekicks win or lose together! There is only one way to win (usually): the players must defeat the main Villain by reducing him to 0 Hit Points! There are many ways to lose! If all Sidekicks are defeated (reduced to 0 Hit Points), the Villain wins! Note: only 1 Sidekick needs to survive for the Sidekicks to win! Sometimes, other Sidekicks will take one for the team to defeat the Villain! If time runs out, the Villain has stalled long enough to bring his evil scheme to fruition, and he wins! This happens if the Villain is still alive at the End of Act III (when the last Bad News card comes out). If the City Terror ever gets too high (16 on the City Terror track), the Sidekicks lose! Sidekick Saga is a light legacy game of exploration (moving around the city), "drafting" (sharing cards cooperatively), variable player powers (each Sidekick has different powers) and hand management (playing cards appropriately), and combat (fighting bad guys). Players move around the city looking for weapons, ideas, leads, anything to help them take out the Bad Guys! —description from the publisher
Sidekick Saga 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 Sidekick Saga is 60–90 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 Sidekick Saga 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.
Sidekick Saga has a complexity rating of 2.0 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.
Sidekick Saga belongs to these categories: Card Game, Fighting, and Comic Book / Strip. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Hand Management, 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 Sidekick Saga are: Richard T. Saunders. 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 Sidekick Saga 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.