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The Peter Principle Game
1973
Rules assistance for The Peter Principle Game
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 60 min
- 12+
- Complexity 1.3/5
Rules assistant for The Peter Principle Game
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
The Peter Principle Game is a board game released in 1973 for 2–4 players, 60 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Laurence J. Peter and its main mechanics are Roll / Spin and Move.
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About the game
This game was published in the wake of the best-selling success of Dr. Peter's book "The Peter Principle" (oft-quoted as "In a hierarchy, every employee tends to rise to his or her level of incompetence"). In it, the players, employees of a huge corporation, compete to avoid promotion and remain competent (by taking more "right" decisions than "wrong" ones). At the same time, each tries to force the others into promotion or into "deadwood" status (which happens by accumulating enough wrong decisions and being found out). The last player still alive and competent is declared the winner. The game was originally published by Skor-Mor in 1973, but the 1981 AH edition is much easier to find. Skor-Mor published 3D puzzles and games in clear plastic such as Chess in the Third Dimension and a 3D Tic-Tac-Toe called Trinary. It disappeared in the early 1980s. A related game, theme-wise, is AH's Bureaucracy.
Editions
- The Peter Principle GameenAnimal Town Game Company1981
- The Peter Principle GameenThe Avalon Hill Game Co1981
- The Peter Principle GameenSkor-Mor1973
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Skor-Mor
- The Avalon Hill Game Co
- Animal Town Game Company
Questions and answers
The Peter Principle 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 Peter Principle Game 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 Peter Principle Game for ages 12 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 Peter Principle Game has a complexity rating of 1.3 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 Peter Principle Game belongs to these categories: Humor. 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 Peter Principle Game are: Laurence J. Peter. 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 Peter Principle 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.