
2026Unai Rubio
Mostly reviews and playthroughs. The Idles is covered on BoardGameVideo.com by 2 reviews, 1 how-to-play guides, 2 recorded sessions, and 1 other video.
From BoardGameGeek
Is your team dragging its heels? Productivity in the pits? Not anymore! Say Hello to Maxwell - The Supercomputer of Tomorrow, Today! From the fine folks at Moloch Industries, this marvel of modern engineering keeps your team on track and sends your company's productivity soaring to brand-new heights! It's simple, it's effective, and it's 100% guaranteed to boost results. The top companies in the country are already on board - what are you waiting for? The Idles is an asymmetric card game for two players. Set in a nostalgic 1950s America with dystopian undertones, the game pits a mysterious supercomputer - obsessed with maximizing corporate productivity - against a lowly employee struggling under that very weight. The supercomputer, Maxwell, will line up his programs and defend them with supervisors until they can be executed successfully...by any means necessary! Meanwhile, the employee must constantly prove their worth by grinding out productivity awards, or else risk being branded an idler. And bad things are said to happen to those who idle. Better not find out!
The Idles has 6 videos from 6 creators: 2 reviews, 1 how-to-play guide, 2 playthroughs and 1 other video. They date from February to September 2026.
To learn the rules, start with "The Idles - How To Play" by BoardGameCo, which runs 29 min.
For an opinion before you buy, start with "The Idles Review: Man vs. Machine" by Board Of It. To see it played, watch "Partida - The Idles vs ️ | Human vs Machine" by 4cubitos, one of 2 playthroughs.
If you like it, try Caper: Europe, also by Unai Rubio, or Android: Netrunner, Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game and Legend of the Five Rings: The Card Game, which share several of its mechanics.
5 of 6
2012Richard Garfield, Lukas Litzsinger
2 players45 minHeavy weight
1999Big Bocca, Kazuki Takahashi
2 players20 minMedium weight
2017Brad Andres, Erik Dahlman (I), Nate French, Tyler Parrott
2 players45 - 90 minVery heavy weight
From BoardGameGeek:
Is your team dragging its heels? Productivity in the pits? Not anymore! Say Hello to Maxwell - The Supercomputer of Tomorrow, Today! From the fine folks at Moloch Industries, this marvel of modern engineering keeps your team on track and sends your company's productivity soaring to brand-new heights! It's simple, it's effective, and it's 100% guaranteed to boost results. The top companies in the country are already on board - what are you waiting for? The Idles is an asymmetric card game for two players. Set in a nostalgic 1950s America with dystopian undertones, the game pits a mysterious supercomputer - obsessed with maximizing corporate productivity - against a lowly employee struggling under that very weight. The supercomputer, Maxwell, will line up his programs and defend them with supervisors until they can be executed successfully...by any means necessary! Meanwhile, the employee must constantly prove their worth by grinding out productivity awards, or else risk being branded an idler. And bad things are said to happen to those who idle. Better not find out!
Designer
Unai Rubio
Publisher
Unair Games
Categories
Mechanics