- BGG rank
- BGG #5,970
- BGG rating
- 6.1
Unexploded Cow
- 2–6 players
- 25 min
- Complexity 1.4/5
- 2001
- BGG rank
- BGG #12,357
- BGG rating
- 5.9
The Big Cheese
1998
Rules assistance for The Big Cheese
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 3–6 players
- 30 min
- 10+
- Complexity 1.4/5
For 3 players
Rules assistant for The Big Cheese
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
The Big Cheese is a board game released in 1998 for 3–6 players, 30 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by James Ernest and Jon Wilkie and its main mechanics are Auction / Bidding and Dice Rolling.
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About the game
An auction game in which players bid from their pool of "worker rats" to gain control of corporate projects. The workers from the winning bid are then are assigned to the project. Each turn, one worker is removed from each project. A project is complete once all workers have been removed. The value of a numbered project is only determined at completion by a die roll. Two other projects, Veto and The Big Cheese, allow special actions during the game. The game has two different scoring schemes, depending on whether players use a single six-sided die or a set of seven polyhedral dice. This is part of the Hip Pocket Games series. Awards 1999 Listed in GAMES Magazine's GAMES 100
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Cheapass Games
- Red Glove
- New Games Order, LLC
Questions and answers
The Big Cheese supports 3–6 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 The Big Cheese is 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 The Big Cheese 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.
The Big Cheese has a complexity rating of 1.4 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 Big Cheese belongs to these categories: Card Game, Animals, and Print & Play. Its main mechanics are Auction / Bidding and Dice Rolling. 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 Cheese are: James Ernest and Jon Wilkie. 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 Cheese 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.