- BGG rank
- BGG #7,125
- BGG rating
- 5.9
Guesstures
- 4–99 players
- 10 min
- Complexity 1.2/5
- 1990
- BGG rank
- BGG #29,242
- BGG rating
- 5.6
The Inventors
1974
Rules assistance for The Inventors
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 3–4 players
- 60 min
- 9+
- Complexity 1.4/5
For 3 players
Rules assistant for The Inventors
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
The Inventors is a board game released in 1974 for 3–4 players, 60 minutes per game, and ages 9 and up. It was designed by Jeffrey Breslow and its main mechanics are Roll / Spin and Move.
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About the game
Though the base mechanism is Monopoly-like (the object of the game is to amass the most money), the way this game plays is different. The theme of the game is that you are investors in various comically named inventions. The game has a very curious mechanism that does double duty for rolling the dice and applying Patent Claim clips. (The kids love fussing with it.) The game board has an outside track, the Invention Track, and an inside track, the Royalty Track. On the Invention Track is where you pick up the various inventions (like buying properties in Monopoly). Instead of building house and hotels, you get a Patent Claim Clip attached to the invention card. This patent clip has a 0, 1, or 2 on it. The number assigned is random. The higher patent clip number, the more your patent makes you come royalty collection time. Eureka Cards can also be played that allow you to do special actions during your turn. The game limit is set by the usage of the Patent Claim clips. When the last one is used, the game ends. The player with the highest combined total of cash on hand invention value wins.
Questions and answers
The Inventors supports 3–4 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 Inventors is 60 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 Inventors 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 Inventors 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 Inventors belongs to these categories: Economic. Its main mechanics are Roll / Spin and Move. 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 Inventors are: Jeffrey Breslow. 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 Inventors 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.