
- BGG rating
- 7.6
Widget Ridge: Kickstarter Exclusive Set
- 1–2 players
- 15–45 min
- Complexity 2.0/5
- 2019

2019
Rules assistance for Widget Ridge
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 1 player

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Widget Ridge is a board game released in 2019 for 1–2 players, 15–45 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Ian Taylor and its main mechanics are Deck, Bag, and Pool Building.
Widget Ridge is a steampunk-themed deckbuilding game, traditionally for 2 players (solo mode and extra players supported). The game follows traditional deckbuilding mechanics of starting with a terrible deck of cards, and improving it with purchases and deck-thinning abilities. Players take turns generating Gold and making Spark, purchasing new inventions from the Marketplace of Ideas, and combining these in their Workshop to make larger, crazier machines. Players can invent things like a Clockwork-Powered Butter Gun with a Parachute, a Coal-Powered Mechanical Bison with a Grappling Hook, or a Solar-Powered Battle Corset with an Antenna. The game has over 1000 combinations in the initial release. The basic win condition is to gather 100 Spark, but the game also includes Goal cards that can alter the rules and win condition for additional replay value. Players can choose to concentrate on the game itself, or engage the rich story environment. The game is designed for 2+ players, but will have solo rules in the box. —description from the publisher
Widget Ridge supports 1–2 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 Widget Ridge 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 Widget Ridge for ages 12 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.
Widget Ridge has a complexity rating of 2.2 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.
Widget Ridge belongs to these categories: Card Game, Fantasy, and Science Fiction. Its main mechanics are Deck, Bag, and Pool Building. 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 Widget Ridge are: Ian Taylor. 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 Widget Ridge 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.