
- BGG rank
- BGG #1,907
- BGG rating
- 7.3
Aerion
- 1–2 players
- 15 min
- Complexity 2.0/5
- 2019

Rules assistance for The Abandons
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

For 1 player
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Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
The Abandons is a board game released in 2019 for 1 player, 5–15 minutes per game, and ages 14 and up. It was designed by Michael "Dmitri" Blascoe and its main mechanics are Push Your Luck and Open Drafting.
Have you ever felt like someone was calling you but nobody was there? A voice deep within the crevices of your mind that you typically give little attention. You felt that voice this morning, but this time, it was clear - it was calling you! The voice became loud enough to gnaw at your sanity yet it’s manageable enough that you’ve been able to bury it. Time seemed to move in slow-motion, mostly due to the eerie voice. What is it saying? It can’t be real. Frustrated, you keep working. Even with the lingering storm clouds ready to unleash a torrent of rain and thunder over the land, you fight that possibility and continue. Towards the end of the day you hit a breaking point. You need to clear your head. The storm clouds are passing, it looks like a great time for a walk to the countryside. You run to your home and grab your satchel, which contains some odds and ends. As you start moving west towards the setting sun, you turn around to face your home, possibly for the last time. You don’t care. The need to escape is too much. The need to escape the voice is even greater. Yet, the need to follow the voice is consuming! You’re ready for an adventure. You’re ready for the unknown. Little do you realize, you may end up alone. Welcome to…THE ABANDONS! The Abandons is a press-your-luck game of exploration meant to be played alone. You will traverse the twists and turns of the labyrinth in the hopes of making it out alive. Be careful, your next turn may be your last - and you shall forever be abandoned! The goal of The Abandons is to make it out of the maze alive by reaching the exit before you've reached too many dead ends and have no way out! —description from the publisher
The Abandons supports 1 player according to the catalogue. This is the publisher’s listed player count, so the game is designed for exactly that number of participants. Variants for other group sizes, if any, are described in the rulebook of your edition, so check it before setting up a different configuration.
The listed playing time for The Abandons is 5–15 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 The Abandons for ages 14 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.
The Abandons has a complexity rating of 1.3 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.
The Abandons belongs to these categories: Card Game, Fantasy, and Maze. Its main mechanics are Push Your Luck and Open 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 The Abandons are: Michael "Dmitri" Blascoe. 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 The Abandons 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.