- BGG rank
- BGG #1,048
- BGG rating
- 6.8
Forbidden Island
- 2–4 players
- 30 min
- Complexity 1.7/5
- 2010
- BGG rank
- BGG #21,135
- BGG rating
- 6.7
Sinister Institute
2025
Rules assistance for Sinister Institute
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–4 players
- 45–60 min
- 10+
- Complexity 1.0/5
Rules assistant for Sinister Institute
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Sinister Institute is a board game released in 2025 for 2–4 players, 45–60 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Phil Walker-Harding and its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Square Grid, and Grid Movement.
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About the game
Building a teenage-full wizardry college in the middle of a cursed swamp didn't seem a bad idea, somehow. At least, not until the Evil Sorcerer showed up with his little minions, craving total annihilation and with no teachers to defend you in sight! Take on the mission and defeat the Evil Sorcerer by collecting and destroying the pieces of his cursed soul to save your beloved school and get the teachers to give you an A++ in the subject "Dealing with Ancient Evils." In Sinister Institute, players will work co-operatively to complete Rituals in order to defeat the Evil Sorcerer. You’ll explore the School and the Swamp that surrounds it, by flipping the tiles and moving on them, and collect the Items you’ll find scattered around this world. Each Ritual is worth a certain amount of points and, once completed, you score it by reducing the health of the Evil Sorcerer on the Points board. Bring the health of the Evil Sorcerer down to zero before the Story deck runs out or all the Minions are placed to win the game! —description from the publisher
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- CrowD Games
- Mojito Studios
Questions and answers
Sinister Institute supports 2–4 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 Sinister Institute is 45–60 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 Sinister Institute 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.
Sinister Institute has a complexity rating of 1.0 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.
Sinister Institute belongs to these categories: Fantasy and Exploration. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Square Grid, 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 Sinister Institute are: Phil Walker-Harding. 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 Sinister Institute 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.