- BGG rank
- BGG #8,981
- BGG rating
- 7.1
Das perfekte Wort
- 1–6 players
- 15 min
- Complexity 1.7/5
- 2021
- BGG rank
- BGG #8,568
- BGG rating
- 6.8
Spukstaben
2020
Rules assistance for Spukstaben
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 1–4 players
- 20 min
- 10+
- Complexity 1.5/5
For 1 player
Rules assistant for Spukstaben
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Spukstaben is a board game released in 2020 for 1–4 players, 20 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Moritz Dressler and its main mechanics are Spelling and Cooperative Game.
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About the game
Spukstaben is a co-operative word game for one to four players. In the game, the players work at an old-school letterpress printshop where hordes of little ghosts appear at night to steal their precious type blocks. These ghosts are called "Spukstaben", a portmanteau of the German words "Spuk" (a spooky commotion) and "Buchstaben" (letters). The players have to come up with words to defeat the ghosts and save their letters. The more type blocks they save, the more points they score at the end of the game. The game is played over ten rounds during which new Spukstaben appear with stolen type blocks, then move towards the exit of the printshop — although some ghosts will jump towards the door immediately. Whenever a Spukstabe enters the game, its level of spook-energy is set based on the number of players. During each round, the players have one minute to separately come up with one word each that contains as many of the stolen letters as possible. These letters then hit the ghosts and reduce their spook-energy by one. However, each letter of a word can hit only one ghost and each word can hit a ghost only once, so the players have to work together to defeat the Spukstaben. —description from the designer
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Nürnberger-Spielkarten-Verlag
Questions and answers
Spukstaben 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 Spukstaben is 20 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 Spukstaben 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.
Spukstaben has a complexity rating of 1.5 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.
Spukstaben belongs to these categories: Word Game. Its main mechanics are Spelling and Cooperative Game. 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 Spukstaben are: Moritz Dressler. 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 Spukstaben 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.