- BGG rank
- BGG #129
- BGG rating
- 8.0
Carnegie
- 1–4 players
- 90–120 min
- Complexity 3.8/5
- 2022
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- BGG #15,210
- BGG rating
- 7.0
The Phoenix Syndicate
2019
Rules assistance for The Phoenix Syndicate
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–4 players
- 60–90 min
- 14+
- Complexity 3.3/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for The Phoenix Syndicate
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
The Phoenix Syndicate is a board game released in 2019 for 2–4 players, 60–90 minutes per game, and ages 14 and up. It was designed by Rebecca Vessenes and Ted Vessenes and its main mechanics are Network and Route Building, Variable Phase Order, and Action Retrieval.
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About the game
Legend tells of the daring exploits and relentless greed of The Phoenix Syndicate, which rose to power and created a galactic regime – but the old order has lost its fire and become bogged down with the affairs of the masses. It is time for a new syndicate to rise from the ashes of the old...and make a tidy profit along the way. The Phoenix Syndicate is a game about building a network of agents on planets spread across the galaxy. Every time you play, a new galaxy is created by randomly arranging the galactic hexes. You will claim trade routes over the course of play, each specifying systems you may want to bring into your network. The better you can fulfill these trade routes, the more lucrative the deal is and the more credits you will gain. Connecting planets to your network will require resources, which, of course, you "acquire" from the planets where you already have agents. During play, you'll get to perform one core action each turn, which is then used up until you take a Deploy turn to reclaim all your spent action markers. The actions start out simple, but by gaining techs you can upgrade them. Cleverly upgrading some of your actions and leaning on them more heavily is crucial to success. By using your techs well, and excuting special bonus actions you can access by infiltrating trade guilds with your agents, you can outmaneuver your opponents and wind up with an enviable pile of Galactic Credits.
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- Asmadi Games
Questions and answers
The Phoenix Syndicate 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 Phoenix Syndicate is 60–90 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 Phoenix Syndicate for ages 14 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 Phoenix Syndicate has a complexity rating of 3.3 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-weight 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 Phoenix Syndicate belongs to these categories: Space Exploration. Its main mechanics are Network and Route Building, Variable Phase Order, and Action Retrieval. 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 Phoenix Syndicate are: Rebecca Vessenes and Ted Vessenes. 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 Phoenix Syndicate 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.