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Without Fail
2023
Rules assistance for Without Fail
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–99 players
- 20 min
- 10+
- Complexity 1.5/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Without Fail
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Without Fail is a board game released in 2023 for 2–99 players, 20 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Elan Lee, Ian Clayman, and Carol Mertz.
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About the game
Without Fail is a party game of seemingly easy challenges that are made horribly difficult by the other players. The game includes 150 challenges that involve props like a blindfold, cups and balls, dice, pens, and more – all provided in the game box. The challenges are simple, but there's a catch: Before a player begins a challenge, their friends bet on how difficult the challenge can be made without failing. The friend who makes the challenge the hardest becomes that player's teammate, and they both score if the player can successfully complete the challenge. However, if they upped the stakes too high and the challenger fails, then all other players earn a point, and the challenger and their teammate both lose points. Success is based entirely on whether players are good judges of their friends' abilities.
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- Rebel Sp. z o.o.
- Exploding Kittens
- Rozum
Questions and answers
Without Fail supports 2–99 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 Without Fail is 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 Without Fail 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.
Without Fail has a complexity rating of 1.5 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.
Without Fail belongs to these categories: Party Game. Categories describe the theme, setting and style of a game rather than its rules. Filter the catalogue by the same category to find similar games when you enjoyed Without Fail and want something comparable for your next game night.
The credited designers of Without Fail are: Elan Lee, Ian Clayman, and Carol Mertz. 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 Without Fail 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.