Speakeasy
Build a Prohibition-era empire in Manhattan. Learn Capo placement, liquor delivery, Mob Wars, district payouts and final money scoring.
Run Prohibition-era businesses across Manhattan, move your liquor through the city, deal with mob pressure and turn your operations into the most money by 1933.
Speakeasy is a heavy economic strategy board game by Vital Lacerda, illustrated by Ian O’Toole and published by Eagle-Gryphon Games. Set in a fictionalized version of Prohibition-era Manhattan, it asks players to run competing nightlife businesses while maintaining protection, arranging liquor deliveries, facing Mob Wars and completing lucrative bookkeeping goals.
What makes Speakeasy different?
The winner is determined by money, not a victory-point track. Your decisions link worker placement, building protection, cash flow, district control and a four-Act timeline. Businesses that cannot operate or survive a Mob War may be much less valuable than they look.
How to play Speakeasy: objective and the big picture
Your aim is to finish the game with more money than any rival mob boss. Most of the game takes place on a Manhattan board divided into Downtown, Midtown and Uptown, containing 16 districts in total. You use Capos to activate locations, build Speakeasies and other businesses, produce or acquire barrels, deliver liquor and claim cash rewards for controlling territory.
Unlike games in which wealth merely buys points, money is itself Speakeasy’s final scoring measure. That creates a direct trade-off: investing in another building or operation may improve your income later, but its cost comes out of the same resource that determines who wins. The decision must pay off before the timeline ends.
There are three recurring sources of pressure. First, Capo action spaces are contested, so you cannot always get your preferred action. Second, Mob Wars and police presence make unprotected buildings risky. Third, the four-Act schedule limits how many opportunities you have to recover an expensive early investment.
This guide explains the standard multiplayer game and flags solo and upgrade-pack material separately. Because Speakeasy has many interacting icon rules, use the official player aid and the English v18c rulebook for exact costs, exceptions and individual card effects.
Speakeasy setup: important components and player-count changes
Use the side of the main Manhattan board marked for your number of players: 1–2 or 3–4. Prepare the separate Mobster and City Docks areas, City tiles, goals, police tiles, rum-runner ships, Operations decks and money supply according to the publisher’s diagrams. The deck types are distinct: VIP Room, Party, Stills and Fleet Operations cards have different functions and upgrade tracks.
Every player receives an Operations board and Safe screen, their Capos, Family Members, Speakeasy buildings, Stills, Nightclubs, Casinos, trucks, Books and markers. Each begins with $15 in cash in front of the screen and $30 behind the Safe screen, as shown in the printed player setup. They also start with their allotted Operations cards and a Goon.
Before the first regular Act, complete the special 1920 setup round. In reverse turn order, each player pays to open a Stills or Speakeasy, places it on a legal empty building space, takes that space’s City tile and plays the applicable Operations card for the special setup benefit. Then proceed into the normal Acts.
At two players, the setup blocks five districts: two Downtown, two Midtown and one Uptown. You may not build in blocked districts, although other activities can still interact with them as specified in the rules. This is not the same as removing an entire Manhattan Zone from the game. Follow the player-count setup exactly rather than improvising starting Mobsters or buildings.
Four Acts and eleven player rounds
Speakeasy follows the Prohibition timeline from the 1920 setup to final scoring in 1933. There are 11 normal player rounds, distributed across four Acts: Act 1 has four rounds; Acts 2 and 3 have three rounds each; and Act 4 has just one. The 1920 setup and 1933 final scoring are separate from those 11 action rounds.
| Act | Player rounds | What ends the Act |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Lucky Luciano phase |
| 2 | 3 | Lucky Luciano phase |
| 3 | 3 | Lucky Luciano phase |
| 4 | 1 | Final scoring |
At the beginning of Acts 2, 3 and 4, the return-of-Capos rules reset which workers are available. You start Act 1 with four Capos. The number of returned Capos changes later, and Act 4 permits just one final placement. This makes the last Act a chance to complete an important plan, not a full extra cycle of business construction.
After each of the first three Acts, the Lucky Luciano phase introduces Mob War activity, patrols and district-control payouts. Only after the fourth Act do players perform final wealth scoring.
A player turn: choose an available person and activate that location
During each player round, everyone takes one turn in current turn order. A player may first use the lower benefit of a Helper card in front of them, moving it behind their Safe screen so it cannot be used that way again.
Then they must place one Capo on an available Person of Interest at one of the eight Manhattan action locations, resolving that person’s printed actions. A Person of Interest normally accepts only one Capo per Act; the Restaurant is the important exception, as it can accept multiple Capos under its own rules. Action-space timing therefore determines whether you can build, supply or convert businesses at the moment you need.
At the end of the turn, draw the top card of one of the four Operations decks. There is no ordinary limit to the number of Operations cards in your hand. The end of the round may also adjust turn order; operating Casinos pay certain cash bonuses when a turn-order change actually occurs.
Teaching reminder: you do not choose any action anywhere on the board. You select an available Person of Interest and perform that space’s actions in the specified sequence. Treat each location as a different conversion engine for your resources.
Eight action locations: what does each do?
The action locations are Contractor Office, City Planning Office, Garage, City Hall, Commission, Docks, Restaurant and Park. They are not interchangeable, and each has several possible printed actions.
- Contractor Office: establish Speakeasies or Stills and deal with rival Mobster Speakeasies. Placement also changes your personal Operations board and may give you a City tile.
- City Planning Office: create or upgrade Nightclubs and Casinos, or take over a Mobster location while paying the relevant higher costs.
- Garage: manage truck and delivery-related development, which helps your liquor business reach more customers.
- City Hall: support your city operations and improve your ability to sustain Manhattan locations.
- Commission: interact with organized-crime systems and the advantages those arrangements can bring.
- Docks: access the rum-running economy, including opportunities tied to ships, crates and barrel supplies.
- Restaurant: change turn-order position, play Operations cards or City tiles, and cook Books for safe money. This space has its own required discard costs.
- Park: exchange Capos at an already-occupied location, allowing unusual timing at the cost of giving the displaced player compensation.
These are functional summaries, not replacement card text. The rulebook’s location chapter includes the costs and limits that decide whether a specific combination is legal. During a first game, learn the basic purpose of each location, then read only the full actions relevant to the Capo you just placed.
Building Speakeasies, Nightclubs, Casinos and a Stills
Your empire begins with smaller businesses and can expand to more lucrative or more strategically placed venues. Speakeasies can be opened on suitable building spaces or taken over from Mobsters, while Nightclubs and Casinos can be built or created by upgrading an existing Speakeasy.
Placement is restricted by the map. For Nightclubs and Casinos, you may have at most one of each building type in each Manhattan Zone. Opening one can also award the City tile associated with that building space, while moving a building off your Operations board may expose useful player-board bonuses.
Under the published action costs in the v18c rulebook, opening or upgrading a Nightclub costs $12. A Casino costs $17 plus discarding an Operations card, before relevant discounts. These costs are expensive enough that choosing the location and timing matters: a Casino that does not operate or fails to survive the next Mob War can be a poor investment.
A Stills supports the production side of the liquor economy; the Fleet supports truck range and deliveries; Party improves selling capacity; and the VIP Room changes Family Member capacity. Building physical pieces is only part of development: upgrading these linked Operations tracks helps turn them into consistent income.
Liquor, barrels and delivery: where the cash comes from
In Speakeasy, bootlegging involves obtaining or producing liquor barrels and selling them through operating businesses. A business must meet the game’s Operating requirements before it can receive, produce, deliver or sell as allowed by its type. Barrels may come from a Stills or be obtained from other sources, including rum-running activity.
Trucks make movement and delivery across Manhattan possible. The Fleet track changes delivery reach and capacity, so investments in production without adequate transport can create stock that is difficult to monetize. Similarly, a strong fleet with insufficient operating destinations will not generate the same value as a balanced network.
Economically, ask three questions before spending an action: Can I obtain the barrels? Can I legally deliver them? Can the receiving building sell enough to turn the trip into useful cash? This often produces a better plan than maximizing any one Operation track in isolation.
The value of deliveries, building limitations and card bonuses depend on exact player-board positions. We intentionally do not invent a universal price per barrel: consult the Operations board and the official delivery procedure for the relevant level and business.
Mob Wars, cops and protected buildings
At the end of each of the first three Acts, the Lucky Luciano phase introduces new Mobsters and resolves Mob War attacks on players’ businesses in specified districts. A new Mobster’s attack strength is its printed strength plus any modifier.
To protect a threatened building, compare the Mob War strength against your building defense strength, starting with your Strength track. You may add one point for each Goon returned to the supply and, where legal, pay an associated Mobster to add their strength. Equal defense is enough to resist; when you are the attacker, your attack must exceed the defense strength instead.
An unprotected or unsuccessfully defended business can be removed and replaced by a Mobster Speakeasy, taking future income with it. Defensive decisions apply to each building being threatened, so protecting one property with spent Goons does not automatically protect every other property in that district.
Cops create a different restriction. Having a building on the board is not synonymous with its being an Operating or Protected building. Family Members help protect businesses, and police presence can make a new venue unable to operate until it receives the required protection. The newer v18c rulebook specifically uses Protected buildings for final scoring; avoid using an older draft’s wording without checking the revised text.
Practical example: if a new Mobster has strength 7 and your defended building has Strength 5, you need at least two further defense from eligible sources to save it. If you are attacking a defender of strength 7, you need an attack total of at least 8. The example demonstrates comparison rules rather than a particular printed district.
Lucky Luciano phase: why district control matters
After Mob War resolution, Cops patrol Manhattan and the game calculates the payout for Zone Control. The three Zones—Downtown, Midtown and Uptown—can therefore reward players who keep useful protected business networks rather than merely placing the most buildings anywhere.
The Zone Control tracks and relevant payouts depend on the game’s rulebook procedure and the current map state. These are intermediate income opportunities in Acts 1–3 rather than a fixed final score for owning a particular district.
The game rewards timing around these phase boundaries. A new business opened shortly before a payout can be valuable if it operates and improves your standing, but risky if it will attract a Mobster attack you cannot withstand. Conversely, delaying expansion for an extra defensive upgrade may preserve several future income sources.
Do not treat Infamy, Zone Control and cash as equivalent tracks. They influence one another and may unlock goals, but final victory is still determined by money after the scoring procedure.
Cash, the Safe and the 2-to-1 laundering rule
Speakeasy distinguishes cash in your pocket from money in your Safe behind the player screen. Both contribute toward final wealth, but they have different spending costs during the game.
Cash held in front of the screen can be spent normally. Spending Safe money requires laundering it at a 2-to-1 ratio: if a payment requires $5 and you fund it entirely from the Safe, you must remove $10 from the Safe. This distinction is easy to miss when the player appears wealthy on paper.
The bookkeeping system offers another route to Safe money. When you cook Books, you place Book pieces on goals for which you qualify, such as having the required Infamy, crate tiles, Family Members or matching goal conditions. The Restaurant includes an opportunity to cook Books alongside other actions.
Not every Safe dollar should be viewed as working capital. If it is likely to remain until the end, it retains its full final value; spending it early halves its purchasing power. When planning, separate the resources needed to complete an upgrade this turn from the money you expect to preserve as profit.
Speakeasy final scoring: what actually counts?
After the final action round in Act 4, players carry out the 1933 final-scoring round. The winner has the highest total money, formed from:
- Cash held in front of the Safe.
- Money in the Safe, counted at full value for scoring rather than reduced as it would be when spent during the game.
- Money earned from Protected buildings, following the amount specified for each qualifying building.
- Bonuses from Helper cards, evaluated for eligible Protected buildings according to the card’s bottle symbols and the printed criteria.
Watch the wording: v18c specifies Protected buildings in the final-scoring procedure, while some older prepublication rule summaries refer to Operating buildings. Use the later rulebook and any official correction applicable to your printing.
For Helper cards, an eligible Protected building can benefit from each unique bottle type; holding multiple Helpers with the same bottle symbol does not multiply that particular bonus. Consult the precise Helper card effects and totals in your edition.
Tie-breakers: most Protected buildings, then most buildings overall, then most placed Books, then most Family Members across the listed locations and supply. If players are still tied after these comparisons, the official rulebook calls for another game.
The final scoring approach explains why it is possible to own impressive buildings but finish behind a player with a modest, well-defended business network and more unspent money.
Speakeasy solo mode: is it in the base game?
Yes. Eagle-Gryphon Games lists a Solo board, 21 Solo Action cards, 16 Solo District cards and a separate Solo Rulebook among the base-game components. That makes the published player count 1–4, although most overview descriptions focus on two to four competing mob bosses.
Solo play has its own procedures; do not assume the normal multiplayer Mob War or Capo decision rules apply unchanged. For a first solo attempt, open the separate publisher’s official download folder and use the Solo Rulebook for setup, automa actions and victory evaluation.
The optional Upgrade Pack includes additional solo achievements and other powers. These are not required to play the included solo mode; mixing them into a basic explanation would introduce unnecessary rules and lead to an inaccurate setup.
Expert beginner strategy: six planning priorities
- Build an operating network, not just a collection of pieces. Extra real estate is not useful if cops, insufficient protection or lack of transport prevent it from producing income.
- Calculate time to payback. A costly Nightclub or Casino is more attractive when several payout opportunities remain than immediately before the short final Act.
- Take Mob War strength seriously. Later threats get stronger. If a district is likely to be attacked, budget Strength, Goons or an Associate before committing expensive buildings.
- Coordinate Stills, Fleet and Party levels. Production capacity, movement and sales all need to fit together; raising only one may leave your investment underused.
- Plan Book goals before taking a Restaurant action. Cooking Books is efficient when you already meet the requirements and can convert the turn into protected Safe wealth.
- Preserve liquid cash for tactical choices. Money behind the Safe screen is still final wealth, but laundering it at 2:1 can make unexpected expenses disproportionately costly.
These are editorial deductions from the game’s economy and timing, not a ranked strategy based on claimed personal play sessions. Different player counts, available spaces and opponents’ plans can change which investment is best.
Who should consider Speakeasy?
Speakeasy is an expert-weight economic strategy game with many component types, substantial setup and a dense web of dependent actions. The publisher lists 45–180 minutes across the supported player counts; the printed rulebook offers the rough planning estimate of about 45 minutes per player. New players should also allow time to learn the action locations and protections.
The main appeal is not a single clever trick. It is the accumulated consequence of choosing a building network, keeping it operational, defending it and ensuring the profits justify the investment. Players who prefer a short tactical card game are unlikely to find this a quick introduction to the genre.
For more Vital Lacerda games in the archive, compare Escape Plan for a different criminal theme, Vinhos Deluxe for production and economic management, and On Mars or Kanban EV for other heavy worker-placement systems. Those guides describe distinct games; none is a substitute for Speakeasy’s Manhattan setup or Mob Wars.
Speakeasy FAQ
How many players does Speakeasy support?
One to four. The base game contains separate solo materials, while the main multiplayer rules focus on competing mob bosses.
How long does Speakeasy take?
The publisher lists 45–180 minutes, and the printed rules estimate around 45 minutes per player. Teaching and setup can take additional time.
How many rounds are there?
Eleven regular player rounds divided 4/3/3/1 across four Acts, preceded by a special setup round and followed by a final scoring round.
How do you win Speakeasy?
By having the most money after final scoring: cash, Safe money, qualifying building income and applicable Helper card bonuses.
Do Safe dollars count at half value at the end?
No. The 2-to-1 exchange applies when spending from the Safe during the game. Safe money counts in full in the final total.
Can two Capos visit the same person?
Normally not during one Act; the Restaurant is a named exception with no general limit to visiting Capos.
Can a building be on the board but not operate?
Yes. Police and protection requirements can prevent a venue from being Operating, and that affects what it can produce or sell.
What is the difference between attack and defense?
Attack strength must exceed defense; defense succeeds if it equals or exceeds the attack strength.
Does the game have Mafia battles?
Yes. Mob Wars in the Lucky Luciano phases can threaten player buildings, and players may also take over Mobster Speakeasies through appropriate actions.
What is the difference between the base game and Upgrade Pack?
The base game includes the Manhattan system and solo mode. The Upgrade Pack adds optional powers, public goals, solo achievements and upgraded pieces.
Is Speakeasy available now?
The title is catalogued as a 2025 release, but as checked in October 2026 Eagle-Gryphon’s own US listing still labels the base-game product a preorder expected early Q4 2026. Distribution and current stock vary by seller and country; verify the relevant store’s release and shipping status.
Rules sources, publication status and editorial notes
Eagle-Gryphon Games — official Speakeasy product, components and publisher downloads.
Eagle-Gryphon Games — English rulebooks and expansions download folder.
Speakeasy English v18c rulebook (PDF; retailer mirror).
BoardGameGeek files — published errata, teaching aids and edition-related clarifications.
Publisher — optional Speakeasy Upgrade Pack.
Research checked October 16, 2026. Core rules are grounded in the newer v18c rulebook; publisher-reported shipping status is explicitly separated from the original game-release year. This is an independent original summary, not a reproduction of the rulebook, a claim of playtesting, or an endorsement of the game’s fictionalized historical depiction of organized crime. Publisher artwork is not copied here, and links to stores are informational rather than affiliate links.