
- BGG rank
- BGG #1,386
- BGG rating
- 7.3
Railroad Revolution
- 2–4 players
- 45–90 min
- Complexity 3.2/5
- 2016

2021
Rules assistance for The Specialists
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 1 player

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Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
The Specialists is a board game released in 2021 for 1–4 players, 30–75 minutes per game, and ages 14 and up. It was designed by Marco Canetta, Stefania Niccolini, Dimitri Perrier, and Anne-Catherine Perrier and its main mechanics are Set Collection, Dice Rolling, and Variable Set-up.
Seven Heists to become a legendary gang… The challenge of a lifetime! Prepare your plan and your equipment, watch the location that you want to rob, recruit skilled specialists and be ready for anything! Use your specialists to make a fortune while staying one step ahead of the rival gangs, perform Heists all around the world, but don’t forget the golden rule: never rob twice in the same city! Now, it’s time to roll the dice… ---- ---- ---- GOAL OF THE GAME: Recruit the best specialists and assemble your dream team. Rob casinos, Banks and jewelries from the biggest cities in the world. Gain millions and become a legend. ---- ---- ---- OVERVIEW: A seemingly simple action, such as choosing 1 die from a small common pool, becomes surprisingly multifaceted here. 1 die, only 1 die per round. And a maximum of 12 rounds available to create the perfect gang of specialists to perform 7 heists. Each Specialist requires 1 die to be recruited and 1 die to be activated. Obviously you would like to recruit 1 Specialist per round, because only having a large gang you can make the most profitable heists. You would also like to activate her/him, because she/he will provide you with the necessary equipment. But at the beginning of each round you will get that one, single die. You will therefore need to be able to recover other dice from bonuses or through the same effects of the specialists you have recruited. Ah, yes, the specialists ... If you have many with the same competence you can get very powerful activations and unlock unique skills. But it will be hard to perform the heists, because very different skills are required in each city. If, on the other hand, your gang is varied, you will have easier access to different casinos, banks or jewelries. But will the weaker activations be enough to provide you with dice, equipment and anything you need for the next rounds? Finally, remember that you are not alone at the table and that the other gangs are not sitting back. Which die to choose? How to create the best gang? Differentiate or specialize? Spend the dice or keep them for later? Behind a system of relatively simple rules, there are deep choices that require a good dose of strategy and planning. And the ability to face unforeseen situations. Because the dice, when thrown, do what they want ... Finally, the most difficult challenge, the solo version, in which you will have to deal with the possibility of being discovered by the Interpol or defeated by the other gangs before the game is over! ---- ---- ---- A PLAYER'S TURN 1 - Choose 1 die Choose 1 die among the available dice and slide that die on your Player Board so that it occupies the rightmost free space. 2 - Use a Specialist Card Spend your dice to use a Specialist Card from the display. You may either - Recruit a Specialist Card in your team (white die of this card), then activate their Ability (black die) if you want; or Become an Informant: Receive the reward indicated on the Informant Card. - or Fast-Play a Specialist Card (activating them directly from the display, without taking the Specialist in your team) or Become an Informant: Receive the reward indicated on the Informant Card. 3 - Perform a Heist Perform a Heist in a town to gain millions and special rewards. You need to have the required Skills and Equipment. or Become an Informant Receive the reward indicated on the Informant Card. ---- ---- ---- END OF THE GAME The game ends when one of the following conditions is met: 1 - A player performed 7 Heists. Complete the current round, then proceed to the final scoring. 2 - The 12th Informant Card is revealed at the beginning of the round. Complete the round (each player plays once), then proceed to the final scoring. ---- ---- ---- WHO WINS The richest player (in millions) wins. -description from publisher
The Specialists supports 1–4 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 Specialists is 30–75 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 Specialists 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 Specialists has a complexity rating of 2.8 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 Specialists belongs to these categories: Movies / TV / Radio theme and Dice. Its main mechanics are Set Collection, Dice Rolling, and Variable Set-up. 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 Specialists are: Marco Canetta, Stefania Niccolini, Dimitri Perrier, and Anne-Catherine Perrier. 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 Specialists 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.