
2025Ryan Campbell
From BoardGameGeek
Speed Run is a compendium trick taking game where each player is the declarer every hand! In a compendium game there are multiple objectives (known as contracts) that each player must complete by the end of the game. Normally in compendium games, there is one player (known as the declarer) who picks a contract for the hand and only their score counts. So, with 3 players in a 5 contract game, it would take 15 hands to play a full game. However, in each hand of Speed Run, all players are the declarer making it possible to complete 5 contracts in 1/3 the time. Additionally, there are Pass and Redo contracts which can provide players a chance to avoid doing a contract with a bad hand or redo a previous contract that they did not score well in. Finally, there are rules for a medium length and long length game. An overview of the game in more detail: Dealing Phase: Deal 12 cards to each player (4 cards undealt) Determining Trump and Card Ranking (starts with forehand): The forehand has the choice of determining what the trump suit is for the round (including no trump) OR determining what the card ranking is for the round. After the forehand determines trump OR ranking, the next player in clockwise order determines the option the forehand did not. Example: Forehand chooses Spades to be the trump suit. Therefore, the next player must choose the card ranking. They decide 1 will be high. Determining Contracts Phase (all players simultaneous): Each player will simultaneously select their contract for the hand. Important: These are not revealed until the end of the hand! Trick Phase (first trick starts with forehand): Must follow, if you cannot follow you may play any card May beat Highest of trump wins, if no trump highest of lead suit wins Winner of trick leads next trick until all tricks are played Scoring Phase (all players simultaneous): Each player reveals their contract and records their score matching the contract they selected Repeat each phase until all but one of the contracts have been played (total number of contracts changes based on game length) -description from the designer
Learn to play
Speed Run has 2 videos from 1 creator: 1 how-to-play guide and 1 playthrough. They date from October 2026.
To learn the rules, start with "Speed Run - How to Play" by Cards Unbarred, which runs 15 min.
To see it played, watch "Speed Run - Playthrough (using Deckades.net)" by Cards Unbarred.
If you like it, try Stepping Stones, also by Ryan Campbell, or Skull King, Duel for Cardia and Tidal Blades: Banner Festival, which share several of its mechanics.
2013Brent Beck, Jeffrey Beck
2 - 8 players30 minLight weight
2025Faouzi Boughida, Mathieu Rivero
2 players15 minLight weight
2022J.B. Howell, Michael Mihealsick
2 - 5 players30 - 45 minLight weight
From BoardGameGeek:
Speed Run is a compendium trick taking game where each player is the declarer every hand! In a compendium game there are multiple objectives (known as contracts) that each player must complete by the end of the game. Normally in compendium games, there is one player (known as the declarer) who picks a contract for the hand and only their score counts. So, with 3 players in a 5 contract game, it would take 15 hands to play a full game. However, in each hand of Speed Run, all players are the declarer making it possible to complete 5 contracts in 1/3 the time. Additionally, there are Pass and Redo contracts which can provide players a chance to avoid doing a contract with a bad hand or redo a previous contract that they did not score well in. Finally, there are rules for a medium length and long length game. An overview of the game in more detail: Dealing Phase: Deal 12 cards to each player (4 cards undealt) Determining Trump and Card Ranking (starts with forehand): The forehand has the choice of determining what the trump suit is for the round (including no trump) OR determining what the card ranking is for the round. After the forehand determines trump OR ranking, the next player in clockwise order determines the option the forehand did not. Example: Forehand chooses Spades to be the trump suit. Therefore, the next player must choose the card ranking. They decide 1 will be high. Determining Contracts Phase (all players simultaneous): Each player will simultaneously select their contract for the hand. Important: These are not revealed until the end of the hand! Trick Phase (first trick starts with forehand): Must follow, if you cannot follow you may play any card May beat Highest of trump wins, if no trump highest of lead suit wins Winner of trick leads next trick until all tricks are played Scoring Phase (all players simultaneous): Each player reveals their contract and records their score matching the contract they selected Repeat each phase until all but one of the contracts have been played (total number of contracts changes based on game length) -description from the designer
Designer
Ryan Campbell
Categories
Mechanics