FAQ
75 answered questions54 official
Rules questions from the BoardGameGeek forum. Answers marked Official were confirmed by Eagle-Gryphon Games or the designers.
Common mistakes
- Counting an unprotected building in a Cop district: under the Golden Rule it does nothing until a Family Member protects it. Ruling · Rule
- Forgetting to draw an Operations card at the end of every turn. Ruling · Rule
- Defending several buildings in one Mob War district with a single total; each building is defended separately. Ruling · Rule
- Thinking protecting Family Members help in a Mob War: they only keep buildings Operating. Ruling · Rule
- Requiring Casinos to be Protected to skim: they only need to be Operating (the board shield is a printing error). Ruling · Rule
- Using a group discount to open or take over a building; it only reduces upgrades of your own Speakeasies. Ruling · Rule
- Moving a barrel from the Stills to a building in the same district without a Truck action. Ruling · Rule
- Putting a Book on both spaces of the same goal. Ruling · Rule
- Scoring unprotected buildings at the end: only Protected buildings pay. Ruling · Rule
Showing 75 of 75
Can I select the exact same turn order position at the Restaurant that my marker currently occupies?
Yes. You may choose any available turn order position on the lower row of the turn order track, including your current position if it is still open. This action still counts as changing turn order for triggering payouts.
Source: BGG thread · BGG thread
Do Casinos need to be protected by a Family Member to pay out, or just operating? Official
Casinos only need to be operating (i.e., no Cop present in the District, or protected by a Family Member) to pay out at the end of a round in which Capos have visited the Restaurant. The protection shield icon next to the Casino at the Restaurant location on the main board is a known graphic error on all language editions.
Source: BGG thread · BGG thread
When do Casinos pay out and turn order change? Official
Turn order is adjusted and all Operating Casinos pay out at the end of each round (defined as a complete round where each player has taken one turn placing a Capo) in which at least one player has visited the Restaurant.
Source: BGG thread · BGG thread
Can the same player send multiple Capos to the restaurant during the same Act?
Yes. Turn order is adjusted after each round (when each player has placed one Capo), not at the end of an Act. Players can visit the restaurant multiple times across different rounds within an Act.
Source: BGG thread · BGG thread
Are the benefits gained from playing an Operations card mandatory? Official
No, card benefits and bonuses are optional.
Source: BGG thread · BGG thread
Is the Leverage provided by a newly played Operations card active immediately for the action being performed on that same turn? Official
Yes. As soon as the Operations card is placed on your board, its Leverage is immediately active and available for the action you are performing (including facilitating the Get Protection action printed on that same card). Any previous card in that slot is discarded first, so its leverage is no longer available.
Source: BGG thread · BGG thread
Can you play an Operations card for its instant top-left benefit even if you cannot perform the card action below the dashed line? Official
Yes, you can.
Source: BGG thread · BGG thread
Is the order of benefits and actions on Operations cards optional?
No. The order is strict; you must fully resolve the top benefits/slotted card effects before performing the bottom action.
Source: BGG thread · BGG thread
Do you draw an Operations card at the end of every player turn?
Yes, drawing the top card from any of the four Operations decks is the final step of a player's normal turn.
Source: BGG thread · BGG thread
After setup, should I start Act 1 with exactly 3 Operations cards? Official
Not necessarily. You are dealt one card of each type and play one in the Setup Round, but the benefit of that card (or, with two players, of your Docks space) can leave you with more or fewer than 3.
Source: Speakeasy FAQ, revised April 2026 (publisher)
Can you upgrade a non-operational (unprotected) Speakeasy to a Nightclub or Casino?
Yes, you can upgrade an unprotected/non-operational Speakeasy. However, the upgraded building remains non-operational until protected by a Family Member.
Source: BGG thread · BGG thread
Can you upgrade an existing Speakeasy to a Nightclub or Casino before clearing one of the 3-Speakeasy groups (without completing a set of 3)?
Yes, you can always upgrade a Speakeasy to a Nightclub or Casino without completing a set. If you have cleared a group, you receive the designated discount; if not, you pay the full price.
Source: BGG thread · BGG thread
Can you upgrade a Nightclub to a Casino? Official
No. You can only upgrade a Speakeasy to a Casino or a Nightclub.
Source: BGG thread · BGG thread
What happens to building protection when you upgrade a protected Speakeasy?
The building remains protected.
Source: BGG thread · BGG thread
Can a non-operating building recover and become operating again later in the game?
Yes. Whether a building is operating is not permanent and can change back and forth (for example, by adding a protecting Family Member later).
Source: BGG thread · BGG thread
In a district with no cop, does a building protected by a Family Member always rank higher for district control than an unprotected larger building (such as a Casino)? Official
Yes, protected buildings always rank higher for district control regardless of building size or value.
Source: BGG thread · BGG thread
Can you attack a district where another player has an associate, and what happens to that opponent's associate if all of the mafia speakeasies in that district are destroyed?
Yes, you can attack such a district. Nothing happens to the opponent's associate; they stay in the game and the opponent keeps their associate tile on their personal board. Mobsters from previous acts stay in play even if all their speakeasies are lost.
Source: BGG thread · BGG thread
Can a discount for upgrading a Speakeasy to a Nightclub or Casino be used when taking over a mobster speakeasy? Official
No, the discount does not apply when taking over a mobster speakeasy because it is a takeover rather than an upgrade of one of your own Speakeasies. You must pay the full placement cost.
Source: BGG thread · BGG thread
When a mobster attacks a district containing two of your buildings, do you defend them all at once or each building separately? Official
You must defend each building separately, treating each defense as an independent action requiring you to pay/use Goons or your Associate for each building you wish to defend.
Source: BGG thread · BGG thread
When defending a building against a mob war attack, do you need strictly more power than the mobster, or does equalling their strength successfully defend? Official
To defend a building, your building defense strength must equal or exceed the Mob War strength of the Mobster.
Source: BGG thread
Can you take over a speakeasy owned by a mobster who is currently associated with another player?
Yes. Nothing happens to the associated mobster; the only restriction is that the player currently associated with them cannot target those speakeasies.
Source: BGG thread
Can you associate with a mobster in a district where you already have a building? Official
Yes, you can associate with a mobster in a district where you already have a presence, but you cannot take over their speakeasies once associated until you switch association.
Source: BGG thread
What happens to a mobster's presence and association if all speakeasies in their district are taken over by other players?
The mobster stays on the board and is not removed from the game, and your association with them remains intact. Mobsters are only removed from the game if they fail to establish any speakeasies during their initial mob war.
Source: BGG thread · BGG thread
Do old mobsters already on the board attack again during subsequent mob wars at the start of new acts? Official
No. A Mobster only attacks the first time they enter Manhattan at the end of Acts 1-3. Mobsters placed during setup or previous acts never attack again.
Source: BGG thread · BGG thread
When a building is lost to a Mobster takeover, what happens to the building, its barrel, and any protecting Family Member? Official
The barrel returns to the general supply, and both the building and the protecting Family Member are removed from the game. (Note: Stills can be recovered if using the optional page 21 variant).
Source: BGG thread · BGG thread
Do Family Members defend my buildings during a Mob War? Official
No. A Family Member only keeps a building Operating despite a Cop. Mob War defence uses your strength, Goons and a paid Associate.
Source: Speakeasy FAQ, revised April 2026 (publisher)
During a Mob War, are all the new Mobsters revealed before anyone decides to defend? Official
No. Resolve one district at a time in ascending order: place the Mobster, swap in its strength tile, add Mobster Speakeasies, then everyone there decides whether to defend, before the next district is revealed.
Source: Speakeasy FAQ, revised April 2026 (publisher)
What happens to unsold barrels in a Stills or Speakeasy if a Cop is placed in the District (or enters during the Lucky Luciano phase), rendering it inoperative? Official
The barrels remain in the building; they are not confiscated or destroyed. However, you cannot pick them up, deliver them, sell them, or collect payouts until the building becomes protected again.
Source: BGG thread · BGG thread
Can a truck pick up barrels from a Stills building or buy from a Rum Runner ship and deliver them within the same district without costing a movement point? Official
Yes, picking up from your Stills or buying from a ship and delivering to an operating building in the same district costs zero movement cost, provided the truck drives through or visits that district.
Source: BGG thread · BGG thread
Can you place barrels on trucks or unload them outside of a delivery action? Official
No. A delivery action is required anytime you want to unload, reload, or move your truck. A barrel currently sitting on a truck cannot immediately take an empty spot next to a building without playing another movement/delivery card.
Source: BGG thread · BGG thread
Can you buy barrels, deliver them locally, and then buy more barrels from the same Rum Runner ship at the same port on the same turn?
No. As soon as you finish buying barrels to fill your truck (up to two barrels), the Rum Runner ship immediately moves clockwise to the next port. You cannot interleave buying and delivering with the same ship at the same port.
Source: BGG thread
Can trucks trade barrels with other trucks? Official
No, trucks cannot trade alcohol with other trucks.
Source: BGG thread · BGG thread
Is there a limit to the number of barrels a Still can store?
Stills have unlimited storage. When producing, you always produce the exact amount indicated by your current production level regardless of current inventory.
Source: BGG thread · BGG thread
Can I move a barrel from my Stills to an Operating building in the same district without using a Truck? Official
No. Barrels reach your buildings only through a Pick Up and Deliver action (Garage, a Fleet card or a tile) or as the barrel you take after ambushing a Rum-runner.
Source: Speakeasy FAQ, revised April 2026 (publisher)
Can I buy more than two barrels from one Rum-runner Ship? Official
No. You buy at most two barrels from a Ship, even with two Trucks or a building in that district. After you buy, the Ship moves on to the next empty port.
Source: Speakeasy FAQ, revised April 2026 (publisher)
When taking the "Cooking Books" action and placing multiple books, do bonuses resolve immediately in real time so that later placements within the same action can benefit from earlier ones? Official
Yes. You gain the benefit of where you placed a Cooked Book immediately, allowing you to satisfy requirements for subsequent book placements within the same action.
Source: BGG thread · BGG thread
If you meet requirements and cook a book using a Speakeasy, does upgrading that Speakeasy later invalidate the cooked book?
No, the book stays. Book-cooking is a state check; once placed, changing things later does not remove the cooked book.
Source: BGG thread
When discarding City tiles at the end of your turn (or after playing them), how should they be placed on the City tile display? Official
Distribute your discarded City tiles to the three spaces in the middle column of the City tile display so that they are evenly distributed, starting by filling any empty spaces first.
Source: BGG thread · BGG thread
When paying other players from your Safe to hire their Family Members at the Docks, how is the money distributed? Official
You pay $2 from your Safe (following the 2:1 laundering ratio); the other player receives $1 in cash, and the other $1 is returned to the general supply.
Source: BGG thread · BGG thread
Once a Family Member is sent to the Docks, is there any way to retrieve them back to your general supply or VIP room? Official
The only way a Family Member on the Docks is returned is after a successful attack on a Rum Runner boat, which returns one of your Family Members on the Dock to your VIP room. Otherwise, they cannot be pulled back to your supply.
Source: BGG thread · BGG thread
What is the exact timing of the Infamy Track bonus space that grants both an Operations Card and a Helper Card? Official
As soon as your infamy marker reaches the space, you take both cards immediately. The Operations card can be played on that same turn, but the Helper card cannot be played until the start of your next turn.
Source: BGG thread
Can you use the Park Action to bump your own Capo out of an action space?
No. The rules explicitly state you must exchange your Capo with another player’s Capo.
Source: BGG thread · BGG thread
On action selection areas like City Hall, does a vertical dotted line between icons indicate "either/or" or "both"?
A dotted line indicates both (in either order), while a slash indicates "either/or".
Source: BGG thread · BGG thread
Are districts 11 and 14 considered adjacent for truck movement? Official
District 14 is adjacent to both 11 and 12.
Source: BGG thread
In a 3-player game, do you use blocked District markers during setup?
No, you do not block districts in a 3-player game. You only use a blocker token to cover up the 4th player spot in the restaurant turn order section.
Source: BGG thread · BGG thread
Can Helper Card #17 be played if you currently have no barrels to sell, just to bank the card for end-game scoring? Official
Yes. All actions and bonuses are optional, so you can simply place the card in your Safe without performing its action.
Source: BGG thread · BGG thread
Can Associate William “Big Bill” Dwyer be used to increase your attack strength when ambushing a Rum-Runner ship? Official
No. Bill Dwyer's ability can only be used when defending your buildings or taking over a Mobster's Speakeasy, not when ambushing a Rum-Runner ship.
Source: BGG thread
What are the steps and rules for resolving Helper Card #13 ("Takeover a Mobster Speakeasy, ignoring its defence strength")? Official
Pay the price for the building you wish to open, place it on the district space to take it over (removing the mobster Speakeasy and ignoring its Strength, while collecting any remaining City Tile), and finally receive the player board benefit below the opened building.
Source: BGG thread · BGG thread
Do Associate mobsters like Texas Guinan and Carlo Gambino defend Stills for free regardless of mobster strength?
Yes, they defend your Stills for free regardless of the attacking mobster's strength, though you still must win the fight with their help.
Source: BGG thread · BGG thread
Can Central Park goal tiles marked with a padlock icon be achieved when the relevant building is non-operational? Official
Yes. The padlock icon breaks the golden rule, allowing you to achieve the goal without the building being operational.
Source: BGG thread · BGG thread
Do Zone Goal tiles require the buildings in the zone to be merely operational or also protected? Official
Buildings on Zone Goal tiles must be protected to achieve the goal.
Source: BGG thread · BGG thread
In final scoring, do operating buildings or protected buildings score? Official
Only Protected buildings score (rulebook p. 20). In practice the two are the same at the end: by then every district has a Cop, so a building only operates when a Family Member protects it.
Source: BGG thread · BGG thread
Can a player place multiple books on different goals within the same Cooked Book area (such as claiming both the 1-crate and 2-crate goals at the Docks) during a single action if they meet the requirements?
Yes, as long as each book is placed on a separate goal space and you meet the criteria for each.
Source: BGG thread · BGG thread
Do Zone Goal tiles apply to any zone or only the zone where they are placed? Official
Each zone goal is strictly related to the zone of its placement.
Source: BGG thread · BGG thread
To claim a Central Park goal that needs a minimum strength, do I have to spend Goons or pay my Associate? Official
No. You only need to have that much strength (yours plus Associate plus Goons); nothing is spent.
Source: Speakeasy FAQ, revised April 2026 (publisher)
Does Crate tile 9 ($5 per Fleet level) have a maximum of $24? Official
No. The rulebook example picture shows an old version of the tile; the printed tile has no cap, so it pays up to $25.
Source: Speakeasy FAQ, revised April 2026 (publisher)
Does the solo bot (Jo) start the game with any money?
No, Jo does not start with any money.
Source: BGG thread
When Jo builds two speakeasies, do you draw a single district card or one district card per speakeasy? Official
You draw a District card per Speakeasy. Once he opens his first speakeasy, you continue drawing to determine where he opens the second.
Source: BGG thread
Does Jo gain a city tile or bonuses when placing a Family Member on a lower dock position? Official
No, Jo does not gain any bonuses when placing his Family Members at the docks.
Source: BGG thread
When refilling the Helper card display, where do new cards go, given Jo prioritizes cards from left to right? Official
Slide existing cards to the left to fill empty spaces, and place the new card in the right-most spot.
Source: BGG thread
Does the solo bot (Jo) get Helper cards and safe money bonuses from Infamy Track milestones? Official
Yes, Jo gains Helper cards and the $15 safe money bonus when reaching those infamy spaces, but he does not take Operations cards or Family Members.
Source: BGG thread · BGG thread
What happens in Solo mode when both action spaces at a location are blocked by one of Jo's Capos and one of yours? Official
You follow the standard park rules: your Capo is sent to the Park (giving you a bonus), and Jo takes your previous spot (treating it as the leftmost spot he can place his Capo since he cannot bump himself).
Source: BGG thread
What happens if Jo lacks enough money to fully pay to defend his buildings during a mob war? Official
Jo pays as much as he can per building. If he can pay at least $1 toward a building's defense, he keeps it. If he has $0 and cannot pay anything for a building, he permanently loses that building and any protecting Family Member.
Source: BGG thread · BGG thread
What is an "empty district" when setting up the solo bot (Jo)?
A district where at least one building space is unoccupied and uncontrolled (meaning zero mobster speakeasies and zero of your speakeasies).
Source: BGG thread · BGG thread
When Jo draws a District card to place a building, does he gain the card's printed bonus (such as a Helper card or Family Member) even if the location is unavailable and the building cannot be placed? Official
Yes, Jo always gains the bonus on his District card even if he does not place the building. However, he only ignores the bonus if the exact same bonus has already been drawn during the same turn.
Source: BGG thread
Can Jo gain multiple Helper cards or place multiple Family Members at the docks across multiple District cards drawn in a single turn? Official
No. No matter how many District cards Jo draws, he only receives a Helper card once and places a Family Member at the docks once per turn.
Source: BGG thread · BGG thread
Where does Jo place a Family Member if the docks are full at the zone indicated on his District card? Official
He follows the tiebreaker rule on page 4, choosing the lowest-numbered district to determine which zone to use.
Source: BGG thread · BGG thread
If Jo only has an operating Still and no operating Speakeasy, Nightclub, or Casino, does he sell from his Stills during the Sell Barrels action? Official
No, Jo cannot sell from his Stills (Stills are only for producing). If he lacks an operating Speakeasy, Nightclub, or Casino, he passes on the Sell Barrels action.
Source: BGG thread · BGG thread
If Jo cannot perform a specific action listed on an action card, does he pass on the entire card or just skip the specific action? Official
He just passes on the action he cannot do, and proceeds with the remaining actions on the card.
Source: BGG thread · BGG thread
Jo can deliver 3 barrels but has only 2 Operating buildings. What happens to the third? Official
He delivers only as many barrels as he has Operating Speakeasies, Nightclubs or Casinos without a barrel; the rest stay where they are.
Source: Speakeasy FAQ, revised April 2026 (publisher)
Can Jo deliver a barrel to his Stills? Official
Only as a player can: when he ambushes a Rum-runner and has no Operating building without a barrel, the stolen barrel goes to his Stills.
Source: Speakeasy FAQ, revised April 2026 (publisher)
Is Jo limited to two barrels when buying from a Rum-runner Ship? Official
No. He takes up to his Fleet level in barrels, as long as he has Operating buildings to deliver them to: first from his Operating Stills, then the rest from one Ship.
Source: Speakeasy FAQ, revised April 2026 (publisher)
[Stretch] When using Variable Power Card #8 (or Persistent Ability Card #8), does the strength increase apply to each individual Family Member used in an Ambush/attack on a Rum Runner ship, and is it limited to 5 strength or applied to total strength? Official
Each Family Member used in the Ambush/attack at the docks increases your Strength by 1, including Family Members borrowed from other players for $1. The increase applies to your total Strength rather than your base Strength level (and is not multiplied by your brass knuckles track value).
Source: BGG thread · BGG thread
[Stretch] How does Variable Power Card #9 ("When selling barrels, consider your Infamy marker as one position higher than its current position") function compared to Card 1? Official
Card 9 allows you to treat your Infamy marker as one position higher exclusively for the pricing tier when selling barrels (for example, selling at the 12 infamy price instead of 11), rather than adding a flat $5 per barrel.
Source: BGG thread · BGG thread
[Stretch] Which types of books count toward Public Goal Tile 10 ("Have cooked at least 3 books of the same type")? Official
Public Goal 10 applies to Docks (crates), City Planning (protected districts), Central Park, and the Infamy track, but not Zone Goals (which are scored specially by Tile 12).
Source: BGG thread