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- 6.1
Who's the Ass?
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Vampire Queen
2016
Rules assistance for Vampire Queen
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 3–12 players
- 30 min
- 8+
- Complexity 1.2/5
For 3 players
Rules assistant for Vampire Queen
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Vampire Queen is a board game released in 2016 for 3–12 players, 30 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by Wolfgang Kramer and its main mechanics are Ladder Climbing.
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About the game
The gray morning has arrived, and the vampires of the ancient clans must now hurry back to their tombs. For the high and mighty this is easy, but the smaller, weaker vampires have the strength to do this only in groups. Thus, you as the vampire lord might want to play out several with low values together in order not to be surpassed. Whatever you do in Vampire Queen, though, be sure to rid yourself of an intrusive vampire hunter because no one wants to get stuck with that! The deck consists of cards numbered 1-13, four vampire queens that have variable value, and two vampire hunters. Players start with a hand of 9-13 cards depending on the player count, and the start player for a round plays from their hand either a single card, multiple cards of the same value, or a vampire hunter. Vampire queens on their own (or in a pair, triplet, or quartet) are valued at 14, but they can be played with other cards and adopt the value of those cards. For a single card or a set of cards (e.g., three 6s), each other player in turn can either pass or play the same number of cards but of a higher value (e.g., three 9s). Whoever plays the highest card(s) wins the round and leads off the next round. If the round's start player leads a vampire hunter, it counts as value 0 and each other player must play exactly one (non-vampire hunter) card of whatever value they want. Whoever plays the highest card takes all played cards into their hand, then leads off the next round, but they cannot lead with the same vampire hunter they just won. When one or more players have emptied their hand at the end of a round, the round ends. Players then score points for all cards still in hand, with number cards being worth their face value, queens being 14, and vampire hunter cards being 15 or 20, as indicated. Players with vampire hunters in hand keep them, then shuffle all cards and deal new hands to all players, with the player who holds the 20 starting. After five rounds, whoever has scored the fewest points wins.
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Arclight Games
- Popcorn Games
- Schmidt Spiele
- OPEN'N PLAY
- 25th Century Games
- Playte
- CaLa4Lu
Questions and answers
Vampire Queen supports 3–12 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 Vampire Queen is 30 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 Vampire Queen for ages 8 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.
Vampire Queen has a complexity rating of 1.2 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.
Vampire Queen belongs to these categories: Card Game and Horror. Its main mechanics are Ladder Climbing. 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 Vampire Queen are: Wolfgang Kramer. 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 Vampire Queen 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.