Speakeasy
- Players
- 1-4
- Best withThe player count this game plays best at.
- 3 players
- Play timeHow long a full game runs once everyone knows the rules.
- 180 min
- AgeThe minimum age printed by the publisher.
- 14+
- ComplexityHow demanding the rules are, from 1 (very light) to 5 (very heavy).
- 4.4 / 5
- Year
- 2025
About the game
Speakeasy drops players into Prohibition-era Manhattan as rival mobsters building illicit liquor empires under the watchful eye of Lucky Luciano. Using worker placement and careful card management, you deliver bootleg liquor, upgrade from speakeasies to lavish casinos, hire goons, and manage constant pressure from police and rivals. With deep interlocking systems typical of designer Vital Lacerda, it's a weighty, strategic economic game about building - and protecting - a criminal empire.
Hobbli's Notes
As with most Vital Lacerda designs, Speakeasy rewards patient, careful planning and punishes hasty decisions - this is a game for players who relish untangling a dense web of interlocking systems. The Prohibition mob theme comes through vividly in the mechanisms, from bribery to smuggling to laundering money.
What we like
- Deep, interlocking systems reward long-term planning.
- Strong Prohibition-era theme woven into every mechanism.
- Multiple strategic paths through territory, cards, and reputation.
- High replayability for dedicated heavy-Euro fans.
Keep in mind
- Very high complexity and long playtime demand a serious commitment.
- Steep learning curve for newer or casual players.
- Significant downtime in a full four-player game.
- New release means less community consensus on long-term staying power.
Who it's for
Best for ages 14+, experienced heavy-Euro gamers who enjoy Vital Lacerda's dense worker-placement designs, in groups of 1-4.
