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The Spill
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- 2022
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Survivalist
2026
Rules assistance for Survivalist
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–6 players
- 40–80 min
- 10+
- Complexity 3.0/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Survivalist
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Survivalist is a board game released in 2026 for 2–6 players, 40–80 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Robert Hewitt and its main mechanics are Simulation, Finale Ending, and Action Drafting.
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About the game
Survivalist drops two to six empty-handed players into the brutal wilderness for ten nights. Each day forces a decision: stay warm at the fire, recover in the nearby clearing, or push into the backcountry and gather what’s needed to prepare for seven threats. As the game progresses, these threats grow worse and nearer: thirst, storms, hunger, illness, wildlife, fatigue, and isolation. The game plays out as a tense survival simulation where every round is a balancing act of action selection and resource management, shaped by limited time, limited backpack capacity, and the constant threat of injury. On their turn, players take one action. They may “gather” specific resources along the ridge, “forage” for random supplies in the valley, or “craft" items using specific resource recipes. Choosing an action also means choosing how much risk to accept, because each option requires drawing deadly discs from a bag. These bag draws make every turn a press-your-luck calculation: push deeper into the wild to get what you need, or play it safe and risk being unprepared later. Regular airdrops add even more pressure to scramble into the backcountry for an assortment of bonuses and buffs. After eight rounds of preparation, a ninth round reveals each player’s hidden talent. This allows players to spend a unique resource type they’ve gathered during the game to adjust the danger levels of the game’s threats. Then comes the finale: a tense endgame in which players face the seven threats one by one. Crafted items and remaining health determine who withstands the ordeal and who falls - from drawing more "wound" discs than they can fit on their playerboard. The game ends when only one person is left standing. Whoever endures the longest is the true survivalist—and the winner. -description from designer
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- Homestead Games New Zealand
Questions and answers
Survivalist supports 2–6 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 Survivalist is 40–80 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 Survivalist 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.
Survivalist has a complexity rating of 3.0 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-weight 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.
Survivalist belongs to these categories: Adventure and Environmental. Its main mechanics are Simulation, Finale Ending, and Action Drafting. 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 Survivalist are: Robert Hewitt. 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 Survivalist 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.