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Periodic: A Game of The Elements
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Subatomic: An Atom Building Game
2018
Rules assistance for Subatomic: An Atom Building Game
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–4 players
- 40–60 min
- 10+
- Complexity 2.1/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Subatomic: An Atom Building Game
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Subatomic: An Atom Building Game is a board game released in 2018 for 2–4 players, 40–60 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by John Coveyou and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Deck, Bag, and Pool Building, and Action Points.
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About the game
Subatomic: An Atom Building Game is a deck-building game in which players compete to build a number of available elements, which score them points. Each player starts with the same small deck of cards that consist of proton, neutron, and electron cards. They use these cards to build upon their current atom (by playing these cards face-up as subatomic particles) in an attempt to construct one of the available element cards. Alternatively, players may use their hand of cards to purchase more powerful cards for later use (by playing them in combinations of face-down cards as energy and face-up cards as subatomic particles). Subatomic introduces a unique variation on deck-building with a highly accurate chemistry theme, with the ultimate goal of building elements to score points, but allowing many varying types of strategies.
Designers
Publishers
- Ediciones MasQueOca
- Schwerkraft-Verlag
- Panda Game Manufacturing (PandaGM)
- Genius Games
Questions and answers
Subatomic: An Atom Building Game 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 Subatomic: An Atom Building Game is 40–60 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 Subatomic: An Atom Building Game 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.
Subatomic: An Atom Building Game has a complexity rating of 2.1 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.
Subatomic: An Atom Building Game belongs to these categories: Card Game, Economic, and Educational. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Deck, Bag, and Pool Building, and Action Points. 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 Subatomic: An Atom Building Game are: John Coveyou. 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 Subatomic: An Atom Building Game 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.