- BGG rank
- BGG #507
- BGG rating
- 7.7
The LOOP
- 1–4 players
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Rules assistance for The Big Book of Madness: The Vth Element
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–5 players
- 60–90 min
- 12+
- Complexity 2.7/5
Rules assistant for The Big Book of Madness: The Vth Element
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
The Big Book of Madness: The Vth Element is an expansion for The Big Book of Madness released in 2020 for 2–5 players, 60–90 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Maxime Rambourg and its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Hand Management, and Player Elimination.
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About the game
The Big Book of Madness: the Vth Element is an expansion for The Big Book of Madness base game. Your goal remains the same: you must close the book before succumbing to madness. But will you be able to handle the new Dark Matter and Phobias? The Dark Matter and the Phobias are two different modules that can be played together or separately. The Dark Matter module adds the Vth Element and the following game elements: the Dark Book, Dark Curses, Dark Monsters and new Magicians. Phobia Cards are Madness Cards with a permanent constraint. —description from the publisher
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Hobby Japan
- IELLO
Questions and answers
The Big Book of Madness: The Vth Element supports 2–5 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 The Big Book of Madness: The Vth Element is 60–90 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 Big Book of Madness: The Vth Element for ages 12 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 Big Book of Madness: The Vth Element has a complexity rating of 2.7 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.
The Big Book of Madness: The Vth Element belongs to these categories: Card Game, Fantasy, and Expansion for Base-game. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Hand Management, and Player Elimination. 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 Big Book of Madness: The Vth Element are: Maxime Rambourg. 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 Big Book of Madness: The Vth Element as an expansion for The Big Book of Madness. Expansions add new content, rules or scenarios to the base game and usually cannot be played on their own, so you need The Big Book of Madness to use it. Check that your edition of The Big Book of Madness is compatible, as some expansions were revised between editions.