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Trash Lords: Gutter Scum
- 3–5 players
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- BGG #19,512
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Trash Lords
2017
Rules assistance for Trash Lords
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 3–5 players
- 30 min
- 17+
- Complexity 2.0/5
Rules assistant for Trash Lords
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Trash Lords is a board game released in 2017 for 3–5 players and ages 17 and up. It was designed by Ryan Sheffield and Brad Dougher and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Take That, and Push Your Luck.
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About the game
Trash Lords is a push-your-luck, take-that, hand management game for 3-5 players. Each player takes on the role of one of 12 transient characters who stalk the back alleys and gutters, rifling through dumpsters in search of valuable trash. Whether you’re a crust punk, a hobo rail-rider, a trust fund poseur, or Woody Guthrie’s actual ghost, all players have the same ultimate goal: rootin’ around in the trash til you’ve collected the booze, smokes, snax, and dope you need to summon the TRASH LORD and be anointed his one true glorious Trash Child. Players can take up to 4 actions on their turn (skitch from venue to venue, dig for things in the dumpsters, trash cards from their hand to take advantage of special actions, stash things they've collected in the Squat, sacrifice cards for special "blessings" from the Trash Lord, panhandle to get more HP, and more). The first player to have all 4 things (booze, snax, smokes, and dope) in their stash and play a SUMMON card at the Altar wins the game. Each dumpster is different, and some more dangerous. Digging deeper can yield more rewards, but it’s also askin’ for trouble. This town is lousy with cops, and the nefarious garbage critters known as Trashlings are waiting in the shadows to swipe your beautiful junk. Even your fellow street urchins might just get wasted and jump you if your stash is lookin’ a little too tempting. If you run out of HP, you're dead. Players must carefully manage their turns and constantly be on the move (and on their guard) as they booze, scrap, panhandle, and race to be the first to summon the TRASH LORD (peace be upon him).
Designers
Publishers
- Craft Fair Games
Questions and answers
Trash Lords supports 3–5 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 catalogue lists Trash Lords for ages 17 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.
Trash Lords has a complexity rating of 2.0 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.
Trash Lords belongs to these categories: Card Game, Fighting, and Humor. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Take That, and Push Your Luck. 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 Trash Lords are: Ryan Sheffield and Brad Dougher. 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 Trash Lords 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.