- BGG rating
- 7.5
Rules assistance for The Ogre Book
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 1–8 players
- 60 min
- Complexity 2.1/5
Rules assistant for The Ogre Book
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
The Ogre Book is an expansion for G.E.V. released in 1982 for 1–8 players and 60 minutes per game. It was designed by Steve Jackson (I) and its main mechanics are Variable Set-up, Modular Board, and Hexagon Grid.
About the game
From the back cover: "Ogre and its sequel G.E.V. are among the best-selling wargames of all time, with over 100,000 copies in print. Fast, challenging, yet easy to learn, both games are tournament standards. Now, by popular demand...The Ogre Book. This collection of the best Ogre/G.E.V. articles from the pages of The Space Gamer will introduce you to basic strategies...polish up your game for tournament play...and introduce you to exciting variants and scenarios for one, two, three, or more players. "Contents of The Ogre Book include: "'Playing the Odds in Ogre and G.E.V.,' by Roland Parenteau- a mathematical analysis of the best use of attack strength. "'Your Mission, Should You Choose to Accept It...,' by J. H. Oxley, and 'Adding Fear and Loathing to G.E.V,' by Timothy C. Weidel- a random generation of missions and multi-player scenarios where you may not know your opponent's real objective! "'Ogres and the Fuzzy Wuzzy Fallacy,' by Lawrence Duffield, and 'The Four Howitzer Defense in Ogre,' by Chester Hendrix, and 'Defensive Tactics and Strategy in G.E.V.,' by Tim Solis- advice for the defensive player with an Ogre breathing down his neck. "The original designer's articles for Ogre and G.E.V., including specifications for the Mark I, II, and VI Ogres and discussions of possible expansion sets... "And much more!" Part of the Game: Ogre / G.E.V.. ISBN 1556344619 Expands: Ogre G.E.V.
Designers
Publishers
- Steve Jackson Games
Questions and answers
The Ogre Book supports 1–8 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 Ogre Book 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 Ogre Book has a complexity rating of 2.1 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-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 Ogre Book belongs to these categories: Wargame, Science Fiction, and Expansion for Base-game. Its main mechanics are Variable Set-up, Modular Board, and Hexagon Grid. 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 Ogre Book are: Steve Jackson (I). 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 Ogre Book as an expansion for G.E.V.. Expansions add new content, rules or scenarios to the base game and usually cannot be played on their own, so you need G.E.V. to use it. Check that your edition of G.E.V. is compatible, as some expansions were revised between editions.