- BGG rating
- 7.5
Silent Death: Black Guard – The Ptolemean Wars Continue
- 2–8 players
- 120 min
- Complexity 3.7/5
- 1990
- BGG rank
- BGG #6,346
- BGG rating
- 7.0
Silent Death
1990
Rules assistance for Silent Death
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–8 players
- 120 min
- 10+
- Complexity 2.7/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Silent Death
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Silent Death is a board game released in 1990 for 2–8 players, 120 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Kevin Barrett and its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Dice Rolling, and Grid Movement.
Expansions
- BGG rating
- 7.6
Silent Death: Overkill – The Ptolemean Wars
- 2–8 players
- 120 min
- Complexity 3.7/5
- 1990
- BGG rating
- 7.7
Silent Death Expansion: Night Brood
- 2–8 players
- 120 min
- Complexity 4.0/5
- 1992
- BGG rating
- 6.3
Silent Death Annex: Operation – Dry Dock II
- 2–8 players
- 120 min
- Complexity 2.0/5
- 2006
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About the game
Silent Death is a space combat game, normally played with miniatures. Most ships are fighter and heavy-fighters in size, but there are expansions to include gunboats and small capital ships. Each ship has a control sheet to make all bookkeeping (mostly damage and ammo when necessary) easier. The game is normally played in 10 turns, each player alternate moving all ships before making attacks. From designer's notes: Silent Death is an attempt to produce a fun and fast-moving game that is simple to learn. The mix of design trade-offs (detail for playability) in the Standard Game feels about right, but since you can't satisfy all of the people all of the time, we piled in a bunch of optional rules so players can find their own optimum mix; either simpler or more complex. Re-implemented in: Silent Death: The Next Millennium Deluxe Edition
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- Iron Crown Enterprises
Questions and answers
Silent Death supports 2–8 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 Silent Death 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.
The catalogue lists Silent Death for ages 10 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.
Silent Death has a complexity rating of 2.7 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.
Silent Death belongs to these categories: Wargame, Miniatures, and Science Fiction. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Dice Rolling, and Grid 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 Silent Death are: Kevin Barrett. 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 Silent Death 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.