
- BGG rank
- BGG #12,664
- BGG rating
- 6.9
WordCraft
- 2–4 players
- 25–40 min
- Complexity 1.7/5
- 2022

2017
Rules assistance for Treachery in a Pocket
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 2 players

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Treachery in a Pocket is a board game released in 2017 for 2–4 players, 10–20 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Christian Giove and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Take That, and Area Majority / Influence.
Four houses struggle for power and control using any means necessary. You watch from the shadows, working behind the scenes and pulling all the right strings, in order to ensure your allies end up in a position of power while your enemies are lost and forgotten. Treachery in a Pocket is a card game with nobles vying for power. They are laid out in rows which represent levels of power and the higher a character is, the more power they have. Your goal is to move the nobles of the House you are allied with as high as possible and the nobles of your enemy House as near to the bottom as possible.
Treachery in a Pocket supports 2–4 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 Treachery in a Pocket is 10–20 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 Treachery in a Pocket for ages 10 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.
Treachery in a Pocket has a complexity rating of 1.6 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.
Treachery in a Pocket belongs to these categories: Card Game, Medieval, and Renaissance. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Take That, and Area Majority / Influence. 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 Treachery in a Pocket are: Christian Giove. 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 Treachery in a Pocket 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.