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All The King's Men
- 2 players
- 30 min
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The Game of Life: Card Game
2002
Rules assistance for The Game of Life: Card Game
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–4 players
- 30 min
- 9+
- Complexity 1.6/5
Rules assistant for The Game of Life: Card Game
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
The Game of Life: Card Game is a board game released in 2002 for 2–4 players, 30 minutes per game, and ages 9 and up. It was designed by Reuben Klamer and Rob Daviau and its main mechanics are Hand Management.
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About the game
This is the card game version of "The Game of Life". There are four types of cards: Career cards, Student/Married cards, Early Life cards, and Later Life Cards. First you must draw a Career card. You may also choose to attend college which allows you to pick a higher paying career, but you also lose three turns. Your Career card lists how much time and money you can spend on each turn. On your turn, you may play cards from your hand, but only if you have enough time or money to pay for them (some cards, like "Lucky Lottery" allow you to add your two scores together). The cards you play feature life goals that are worth points. You may also get married and have children which costs you time but earns you bonus points. When the Early Life cards are used up, play proceeds with the Later Life cards. This deck also has the Letter cards "L" "I" "F" and "E", and when all four of these cards are drawn the game ends. The players add up their scores and the one with the highest point total wins.
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Parker Brothers
- Hasbro
Questions and answers
The Game of Life: Card Game supports 2–4 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 Game of Life: Card Game 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 Game of Life: Card Game for ages 9 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 of Life: Card Game has a complexity rating of 1.6 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 of Life: Card Game belongs to these categories: Card Game and Children's Game. 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 of Life: Card Game are: Reuben Klamer and Rob Daviau. 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 of Life: Card Game 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.