Speed
BGG rank
BGG #27,139
BGG rating
5.5

Speed

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Rules assistance for Speed

Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with saved question history.

  • 30 min
  • 7+
  • Complexity 1.1/5

Rules assistant for Speed

What would you like to know?

Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.

Speed is a board game released in 1938 for 2–5 players, 30 minutes per game, and ages 7 and up. Its main mechanics are Hand Management.

Similar games

About the game

Speed (manufactured in Great Britain by Pepys) is a card game for 2-5 players where the object of the game is to get rid of all the cards in your hand. There have been at least 14 editions of this game published. Speed is a predecessor of the popular game UNO and a contemporary of Whot. Players are dealt a hand of cards (6 cards for 2 or 3 players, 5 cards for 4 or 5 players). Players play cards by matching the set of the previously played card (Aeroplane, Train, Ship, Motor or Animal), or by playing a card bearing the same number in the top corner (the Animal suit has 2 numbers per card). When a player is unable to do either of these, he draws a card from the draw deck. 'Lightning' cards act as wild cards, allowing the player to call the next set to be played. There is one 'Extra Turn' card that can be played in addition to a normal card (hence the only chance to get rid of 2 cards in a turn). When the first person has finished, the others score penalty points equal to the sum of the numbers on the cards they have left in their hand.

Editions

  • SpeedENGibsons1988
  • SpeedENPepys (Castell Brothers)1978
  • SpeedENPepys (Castell Brothers)1974
  • SpeedENPepys (Castell Brothers)1968
  • SpeedENPepys (Castell Brothers)1963
  • SpeedENPepys (Castell Brothers)1960
  • SpeedENPepys (Castell Brothers)1958
  • SpeedENPepys (Castell Brothers)1954
  • SpeedENPepys (Castell Brothers)1948
  • SpeedENPepys (Castell Brothers)1945
  • SpeedENPepys (Castell Brothers)1938

Publishers

  • Gibsons
  • Pepys (Castell Brothers)

Questions and answers

Speed supports 2–5 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.