- BGG rank
- BGG #7,461
- BGG rating
- 6.5
Max
- 1–8 players
- 20 min
- Complexity 1.1/5
- 1986
- BGG rank
- BGG #11,784
- BGG rating
- 6.1
The Secret Door
1991
Rules assistance for The Secret Door
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 1–8 players
- 20 min
- 5+
- Complexity 1.1/5
For 1 player
Rules assistant for The Secret Door
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
The Secret Door is a board game released in 1991 for 1–8 players, 20 minutes per game, and ages 5 and up. It was designed by Jim Deacove and its main mechanics are Memory, Deduction, and Cooperative Game.
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About the game
The game Memory with a theme. Three object cards are removed from the deck. The rest are mixed in with 12 clock cards and placed on spots on the board. Players take turns revealing two cards, hoping to form a match. When a clock card is turned over, it is added to the time row. When the 12th clock card is turned over, the game ends. At this point the players try to determine which three cards have been removed from the deck, based on the cards they have seen and the pairs that they have.
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Egmont Polska
- One Moment Games
- Family Pastimes
- Zonnespel
- Keller & Mayer
- Sunny Games
Questions and answers
The Secret Door 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 Secret Door is 20 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 Secret Door for ages 5 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 Secret Door has a complexity rating of 1.1 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 Secret Door belongs to these categories: Children's Game, Deduction, and Murder / Mystery. Its main mechanics are Memory, Deduction, and Cooperative Game. 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 Secret Door are: Jim Deacove. 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 Secret Door 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.