- BGG rating
- 7.3
Tavern Masters: Dirty Deeds Expansion
- 2–6 players
- 25–35 min
- 2017
- BGG rank
- BGG #9,694
- BGG rating
- 6.8
Tavern Masters
2017
Rules assistance for Tavern Masters
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 1–6 players
- 20–30 min
- 13+
- Complexity 2.0/5
For 1 player
Rules assistant for Tavern Masters
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Tavern Masters is a board game released in 2017 for 1–6 players, 20–30 minutes per game, and ages 13 and up. It was designed by Dann Kriss and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Trading, and Simultaneous Action Selection.
Expansions
- BGG rating
- 7.5
Tavern Masters: Games Of Chance Mini-Expansion
- 1–6 players
- 20–30 min
- 2017
- BGG rating
- 7.5
Tavern Masters: Dockside Expansion
- 1–6 players
- 20–30 min
- 2019
- BGG rating
- 8.0
Tavern Masters: Songs From The Tavern (Soundtrack CD)
- 1–6 players
- 2019
- BGG rating
- 7.8
Tavern Masters: Tavern Menu Expansion
- 1–6 players
- 20–30 min
- 2019
- BGG rating
- 8.5
Tavern Masters: Faerie Folk
- 1–6 players
- 20–60 min
- 2025
- BGG rating
- 10.0
Tavern Masters: Marketplace
- 1–6 players
- 20–60 min
- 2025
- BGG rating
- 10.0
Tavern Masters: Tavern Signs
- 1–6 players
- 20–60 min
- 2025
- BGG rating
- 8.5
Tavern Masters: Yuletide
- 1–6 players
- 20–60 min
- 2025
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About the game
Run the best fantasy tavern in the village! Entertain the patrons! Earn the gold! In Tavern Masters, each player is a new tavern owner, setting up shop in a thirsty village full of thugs and soldiers, mages and nobles! There are multiple ways to play : competitive, co-operative, or single player. During the Day Phase, players play Tavern cards from their hand with Gold to build up their tavern, so that during Night Phase more patrons will come to their tavern and spend more gold. Turns are taken simultaneously during each phase, so there is no "player down-time". Also, there is no "player elimination". One key feature in this game is Trading. Players can trade goods and staff cards from their hand or their tavern, which adds both a game dynamic and player interaction. In the base game of Tavern Masters, there are no "take that" cards, or cards which would negatively impact another player directly. This makes for less tense game-play for players who do not enjoy looking over their shoulder each turn at who will attack or betray them. For players who do enjoy more of the "take that" card play interaction, there is the Dirty Deeds Expansion, which adds in nasty tricks to play on the other tavern owners. The Dirty Deeds Expansion is mainly intended for competitive play mode.
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Dann Kriss Games
- Power Gamers
Questions and answers
Tavern Masters supports 1–6 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 Tavern Masters is 20–30 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 Tavern Masters for ages 13 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.
Tavern Masters 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.
Tavern Masters belongs to these categories: Card Game, Fantasy, and Humor. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Trading, and Simultaneous Action Selection. 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 Tavern Masters are: Dann Kriss. 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 Tavern Masters 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.