
- BGG rank
- BGG #4,890
- BGG rating
- 7.6
EXIT: The Game – Advent Calendar: The Intergalactic Race
- 1–99 players
- 20–45 min
- Complexity 2.0/5
- 2024

2022
Rules assistance for The Vandermist Dossier
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 Vandermist Dossier is a board game released in 2022 for 1–5 players, 120–210 minutes per game, and ages 14 and up. It was designed by Ruud Kool and its main mechanics are Simultaneous Action Selection, Storytelling, and Cooperative Game.
In the spring of 1979 Abigail Vandermist, 19 years old, discovers people mysteriously disappearing from the village of Oostzoom. She starts her investigation. Her sister Helena stays behind in Amsterdam...until she notices not hearing anything from Abby for weeks. In The Vandermist Dossier, you are being asked to help in this cold case. You receive the file by post and then you can start digging in the information. Spend an evening working to solve puzzles, unlock hidden clues, and unravel the mystery of the Vandermist family. Will you and your guests be able to solve the mystery and discover what happened? Note that in the original Dutch production of this escape-room game, the missing girl is Abigail Boekanier, thus the name of the game is Het Boekanier Dossier.
The Vandermist Dossier supports 1–5 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 Vandermist Dossier is 120–210 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 Vandermist Dossier 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 Vandermist Dossier 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 Vandermist Dossier belongs to these categories: Deduction, Murder / Mystery, and Adventure. Its main mechanics are Simultaneous Action Selection, Storytelling, 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 Vandermist Dossier are: Ruud Kool. 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 Vandermist Dossier 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.