- BGG rating
- 2.8
The World Council: Cold War
- 3–6 players
- 15–45 min
- 2017
- BGG rank
- BGG #31,014
- BGG rating
- 3.8
The World Council
2017
Rules assistance for The World Council
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 3–6 players
- 15–45 min
- 13+
- Complexity 2.4/5
Rules assistant for The World Council
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
The World Council is a board game released in 2017 for 3–6 players, 15–45 minutes per game, and ages 13 and up. It was designed by Lokson Ken Leung and its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Hand Management, and Trading.
Expansions
- BGG rating
- 2.7
The World Council: Disaster
- 3–6 players
- 15–45 min
- 2017
The World Council: The Future Council Expansion Pack
- 3–6 players
- 15–45 min
- 2019
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About the game
The World Council is a secret committee unknown to most. They gather leaders from various countries in the globe to determine policy of our world. Its main objectives is maintaining peace, fostering social and economic development, and make sure the world is sustainable for mankind. However, result always comes with a price, the development for the general well-being can also foster the coming Doomsday. Can councilors work together for a better future? The World Council is a strategic board game for 3 to 8 players. You are one of the country leaders in "The World Council". All players strive to be the first to achieve their countries’ objectives, which determined by their country cards, while preventing the ambition of other leaders, as well as, the end of the world. Player achieves his country’s objectives to win the game. Each player begins the game with one of the following country cards (Super Power, Totalitarian State, Developed Country, Developing Country, Island Country) which give them different countries’ objectives and an uneven number of hands depends on which country you started with. Doomsday Cards are used to Presents the closeness of 4 types of Doomsday (World War Index, Starvation index, Global Warming Index, Drought Index). Action Cards provide strategy for Councilors to gain advantage for their country. Building Cards need Resources to construct, but they can also provide Resources or even strategic superiority for their countries and construction of some buildings could also be a part of the objectives to win. Every card have a natural resources value showed on the upper left which can be used to pay building cost of other building. Using natural resources will cause the rise of Doomsday Index, but Resources provided by building will not. Prepare for the tension and conflict coming from the other players, you will never know when will they be ally or your foe. Each game will be quick and simple, but always a different experience!
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Questions and answers
The World Council 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 World Council is 15–45 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 World Council 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 World Council has a complexity rating of 2.4 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 World Council belongs to these categories: Card Game, Political, and Negotiation. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Hand Management, and Trading. 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 World Council are: Lokson Ken Leung. 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 World Council 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.