- BGG rank
- BGG #2,805
- BGG rating
- 7.0
The Game: Face to Face
2017
Rules assistance for The Game: Face to Face
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2 players
- 20 min
- 8+
- Complexity 1.2/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for The Game: Face to Face
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
The Game: Face to Face is a board game released in 2017 for 2 players, 20 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by Reinhard Staupe and Steffen Benndorf and its main mechanics are Hand Management.
About the game
The Game: Face to Face features gameplay similar to The Game with players laying down cards from their hand in ascending and descending piles, but now the game is limited to two players who are competing to get rid of their cards first. You want to win on your own, but to advance, you must inevitably help your opponent... On your turn, you’ll play at least 2 cards from your hand of 6. The twist comes from where you can play them. Of course, your own ascending and descending piles are fair game and follow the normal rules of The Game. But exactly once per turn, you can play a card on one of your opponent’s piles, breaking all rules. This ultimately helps them out, as it pushes whatever pile you played on away from its upper limit.
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Arclight Games
- DV Games
- Game Factory
- Fractal Juegos
- Nürnberger-Spielkarten-Verlag
- White Goblin Games
- Oya
- Pandasaurus Games
- Happy Games
Questions and answers
The Game: Face to Face supports 2 players 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 Game: Face to Face is 20 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 Game: Face to Face for ages 8 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 Game: Face to Face has a complexity rating of 1.2 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 Game: Face to Face belongs to these categories: Card Game and Number. Its main mechanics are Hand Management. 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 Game: Face to Face are: Reinhard Staupe and Steffen Benndorf. 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 Game: Face to Face 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.