- BGG rank
- BGG #5,045
- BGG rating
- 6.4
Batavia
- 3–5 players
- 45–60 min
- Complexity 2.4/5
- 2008
- BGG rank
- BGG #27,344
- BGG rating
- 5.5
Speculation
2003
Rules assistance for Speculation
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 3–5 players
- 60 min
- 10+
- Complexity 2.0/5
For 3 players
Rules assistant for Speculation
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Speculation is a board game released in 2003 for 3–5 players, 60 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Grzegorz Rejchtman and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Set Collection, and Push Your Luck.
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About the game
Speculation is a game about having as much worth as possible when the game ends. And unlike some Monopoly-like games, this one definitely ends when one of the draw piles are empty. You start the game with €150,000 and that's all the money you get from the bank. No beauty contests to win here, so you'd better spend them wisely. You will get cards with collectible items, though. And the item value increases the more items you have in the collection. So getting lots of cards in one collection is good, but naturally there is a risk - each collection can possibly be fake and worth nothing. This is controlled by the Insider Information cards which sometimes are available for auction in the game. Another interesting aspect of the game is the trading part. If you put cards down on the table, they are always for sale, and if an opponent happens to land on Trade, he can buy a category from you (for the market value). However, you can never lose money on showing your cards, but your opponent may increase his collection and therefore earn more - unless they are fake, of course. The final balancing aspect is that the cards that you don't show are not declared properly, so if you land on Tax Razzia, you have to pay for those cards. There are also bank-controlled auctions. Speculation is a very well balanced, exciting and different economic game and you don't know for sure who's the winner until it's all over. The game is in Swedish and scales well from three to five players. It works well for six players as well, but then you have to add a player marker and some money.
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Alga
Questions and answers
Speculation 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 Speculation is 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 Speculation 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.
Speculation 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.
Speculation belongs to these categories: Economic. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Set Collection, and Push Your Luck. 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 Speculation are: Grzegorz Rejchtman. 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 Speculation 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.