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The Pioneers Program
2017
Rules assistance for The Pioneers Program
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 3–6 players
- 45–90 min
- 13+
- Complexity 2.3/5
For 3 players
Rules assistant for The Pioneers Program
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
The Pioneers Program is a board game released in 2017 for 3–6 players, 45–90 minutes per game, and ages 13 and up. It was designed by Odin Mentlak and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Take That, and Dice Rolling.
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About the game
The Pioneers Program is a post-apocalyptic, town building board game for 3-6 players. Players can plan, build, venture into the wastes or complete research on their harsh new world. Actions are limited and players need to choose wisely how to spend them. Each round players select a new survivor to help them, each brings their own strengths and selecting wisely is important, as is gaining turn order to allow you to choose sooner rather than later. Grow too quickly and you may face unwanted attention. Balancing the size of your town with food production and defensive capabilities is essential and made all the more difficult by hordes of Viralz, the new race of ascendants or even a marauding gang of bikers.
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- GCT Studios
Questions and answers
The Pioneers Program supports 3–6 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 Pioneers Program is 45–90 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 Pioneers Program 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 Pioneers Program has a complexity rating of 2.3 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 Pioneers Program belongs to these categories: Dice and City Building. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Take That, and Dice Rolling. 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 Pioneers Program are: Odin Mentlak. 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 Pioneers Program 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.