La Cosa Nostra
- Players
- 3-5
- Best withThe player count this game plays best at.
- 4 players
- Play timeHow long a full game runs once everyone knows the rules.
- 90 min
- AgeThe minimum age printed by the publisher.
- 16+
- ComplexityHow demanding the rules are, from 1 (very light) to 5 (very heavy).
- 2.6 / 5
- Year
- 2014
About the game
In La Cosa Nostra, players run rival mafia families, hiring gangster cards and expanding into drug dealing, moneylending, casinos, and other illicit businesses. Actions are chosen secretly and revealed simultaneously, and success often depends on negotiating deals with rivals you can never quite trust. Over four escalating rounds, new action cards and gangsters flood the table, raising the stakes for cooperation and betrayal alike. It's a thematic negotiation game built around bluffing, dealmaking, and well-timed backstabs.
Hobbli's Notes
This one lives or dies on your group's appetite for cutthroat negotiation. When the table leans into the theme it's a blast of scheming and betrayal, but it needs the right crowd to shine.
What we like
- Strong negotiation-driven gameplay with real teeth.
- Thematic mafia setting comes through clearly in mechanisms.
- Escalating rounds keep tension rising throughout play.
- Secretive simultaneous action selection adds bluffing depth.
Keep in mind
- Heavy reliance on table negotiation won't suit every group.
- Can run long at roughly 90 minutes with full player counts.
- Downtime possible while waiting on others' secret plans.
Who it's for
Suited to groups of 3-5 adults aged 16+ who enjoy heavy negotiation and social bluffing games.
