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The Quest for Shangri-La
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The Game of Real Life
1998
Rules assistance for The Game of Real Life
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–6 players
- 30 min
- 13+
- Complexity 1.2/5
Rules assistant for The Game of Real Life
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
The Game of Real Life is a board game released in 1998 for 2–6 players, 30 minutes per game, and ages 13 and up. It was designed by Chris Pender and its main mechanics are Roll / Spin and Move, Storytelling, and Role Playing.
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About the game
The Game of Real Life is a parody of Milton Bradley's The Game of Life. Instead of trying to get the most money, in The Game of Real Life your character is trying to get the most Happiness. Happiness wins the game! There are different ways to get Happiness: Playing with a puppy, falling in love, catching autumn leaves as they fall and SEX and DRUGS. Sex and Drugs are a choice. So you might get Happiness or you might lose Health. It is a roll of the die. The Game of Real Life is a role-playing game. So, before you start down the path of Real Life each player flips a coin to see if they are playing a male or female character. Then each player rolls a die to determine how healthy that character is. HP are Health Points. Run out of HP and you are out of the game!
Designers
Publishers
- (Self-Published)
Questions and answers
The Game of Real Life supports 2–6 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 Game of Real Life 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 Real Life for ages 13 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 Real Life 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 of Real Life belongs to these categories: Economic, Party Game, and Mature / Adult. Its main mechanics are Roll / Spin and Move, Storytelling, and Role Playing. 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 Real Life are: Chris Pender. 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 Real Life 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.