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- 7.9
Ministry of Lost Things: Case 1 – Lint Condition
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Rules assistance for XCOM: The Board Game – Evolution
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 1–4 players
- 90 min
- 14+
- Complexity 2.7/5
Rules assistant for XCOM: The Board Game – Evolution
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
XCOM: The Board Game – Evolution is an expansion for XCOM: The Board Game released in 2016 for 1–4 players, 90 minutes per game, and ages 14 and up. It was designed by Samuel Bailey and Mark Larson and its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Hand Management, and Push Your Luck.
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About the game
Description from the publisher: Hello, Commander. The war continues – at great cost. We now believe another force is at work against us. If not dealt with swiftly, it could destroy us… XCOM: Evolution is an expansion for XCOM: The Board Game that complicates your war effort with new missions, enemies, and invasion plans, as well as mechanics that make your struggles more dangerous than ever. As the alien forces spread and peril increases, the sinister humans of the EXALT seek to take advantage of the chaos to infiltrate and destroy XCOM from within. Their treachery leads to new challenges, and you'll face new crises, you'll find your work subverted, and you'll have to deal with new threats to the very resources you need to win the war. Fortunately, your team has also made some advances since the war began. The discovery of the mysterious alien substance known as Meld promises to unlock some astonishing breakthroughs in the field of biomechanics. And XCOM: Evolution allows you to pursue some of these advances, potentially bringing formidable new weaponry to the field in the form of MEC Troopers!
Designers
Publishers
- Fantasy Flight Games
- Heidelberger Spieleverlag
- Galakta
- Giochi Uniti
Questions and answers
XCOM: The Board Game – Evolution supports 1–4 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 XCOM: The Board Game – Evolution is 90 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 XCOM: The Board Game – Evolution for ages 14 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.
XCOM: The Board Game – Evolution has a complexity rating of 2.7 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.
XCOM: The Board Game – Evolution belongs to these categories: Video Game Theme, Real-time, and Expansion for Base-game. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Hand Management, 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 XCOM: The Board Game – Evolution are: Samuel Bailey and Mark Larson. 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 XCOM: The Board Game – Evolution as an expansion for XCOM: The Board Game. Expansions add new content, rules or scenarios to the base game and usually cannot be played on their own, so you need XCOM: The Board Game to use it. Check that your edition of XCOM: The Board Game is compatible, as some expansions were revised between editions.