[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":413},["ShallowReactive",2],{"game-en-portero-baldomero":3,"overlays-en-portero-baldomero":412},{"id":4,"title":5,"accent":6,"age":7,"backdrop":8,"bggUrl":9,"body":10,"categories":27,"components":8,"cover":31,"deepDive":32,"description":16,"duration":122,"extension":125,"faq":126,"industryLegend":8,"lastReviewed":161,"leaders":8,"locale":162,"manualUrl":163,"mechanics":164,"meta":169,"navigation":170,"path":171,"players":172,"publisher":178,"quickStart":179,"resourceLegend":8,"rulesVersion":371,"seo":372,"sourceFiles":373,"sourceNotes":375,"stem":376,"strategies":377,"summary":408,"videoLanguage":8,"videoUrl":8,"weight":409,"year":410,"__hash__":411},"games\u002Fen\u002Fportero-baldomero.md","El Portero Baldomero","#D8322C","10",null,"https:\u002F\u002Fboardgamegeek.com\u002Fboardgame\u002F306745\u002Fel-portero-baldomero",{"type":11,"value":12,"toc":23},"minimark",[13,17,20],[14,15,16],"p",{},"El Portero Baldomero is a word game with a mole inside. The neighbours share a secret\nBaldomero does not have, yet he sits at the same table hearing everything, and his job\nis to look like one more neighbour while working out what is being discussed.",[14,18,19],{},"Each round balances on a fragile edge: the words must be clear enough for neighbours to\nrecognise each other and opaque enough that the doorman cannot guess. Every\nclarification during the debate shifts that balance, which is why the game is won as\nmuch by talking as by staying quiet.",[14,21,22],{},"In the end almost everything comes down to one blind vote and one question: what were\nwe talking about? If Baldomero names it, the round changes hands at the last second and\nthe neighbours are left with the word on their lips.",{"title":24,"searchDepth":25,"depth":25,"links":26},"",2,[],[28,29,30],"Party","Deduction","Humor","\u002Fimages\u002Fgames\u002Fportero-baldomero\u002Fcover.webp",{"title":33,"intro":34,"phases":35},"One word that proves you know","You can already read the mailbox and accuse. The round is won in the quality of the clues: say something that proves you know the word without handing it to Baldomero, and accuse only once the group has settled the vote.",[36,81],{"id":37,"label":38,"steps":39},"clues","The clue as evidence",[40,55,69],{"title":41,"text":42,"images":43,"check":48},"Everyone but one knows the word","The two eight-sided dice point to a word in the mailbox, and every neighbour has the key to read it except Baldomero. The round is therefore not about guessing the word but about proving you know it without saying it. A clue too vague helps Baldomero; one too precise gives it away. The balance is saying something that only makes sense if you read the mailbox.",[44],{"src":45,"alt":46,"label":47},"\u002Fimages\u002Fgames\u002Fportero-baldomero\u002Fcomponentes.webp","El Portero Baldomero components on a grey table: two mailbox cards with word grids, the two eight-sided dice, the doorbell cards, the Baldomero card and the box.","Components",{"question":49,"options":50,"answer":53,"explanation":54},"Who does not know the round's word?",[51,52],"Baldomero, who has no key","The last player to speak",0,"Every doorbell card carries the key except Baldomero's.",{"title":56,"text":57,"images":58,"check":63},"Speaking order changes what a clue is worth","The last speaker has heard every clue and can copy the tone or correct the course. That is why Baldomero benefits from speaking late, and the group benefits from preventing it. If you hold the key, give a clue that fixes the semantic field from the start: others can join it and Baldomero is left with no room to improvise. A vague clue early on contaminates the whole round.",[59],{"src":60,"alt":61,"label":62},"\u002Fimages\u002Fgames\u002Fportero-baldomero\u002Fguia-esquema-1.webp","Annotated diagram that makes the idea of the step visible.","Diagram",{"question":64,"options":65,"answer":53,"explanation":68},"Why is it dangerous for Baldomero to speak last?",[66,67],"Because he can imitate the other clues","Because he wins automatically","Hearing every clue lets him tune his improvisation and pass as innocent.",{"title":70,"text":71,"images":72,"check":75},"Naming the word is self-betrayal","If a neighbour says the exact word, Baldomero learns it and can use it to win the accusation. Clues should circle the word, not name it. The group has to trust that the others know it without hearing it. That trust is the game: if nobody dares to give concrete clues, Baldomero wins by default.",[73],{"src":74,"alt":61,"label":62},"\u002Fimages\u002Fgames\u002Fportero-baldomero\u002Fguia-esquema-2.webp",{"question":76,"options":77,"answer":53,"explanation":80},"What happens if a neighbour says the exact word?",[78,79],"Baldomero learns it and can use it to win","Nothing, it is allowed and has no consequence","Baldomero needs to discover the word: naming it hands him the round.",{"id":82,"label":83,"steps":84},"accusing","Accusing and voting",[85,99,111],{"title":86,"text":87,"images":88,"check":93},"Accusing an innocent loses","If the neighbours point at Baldomero and he guesses the word, he wins; if they point at an innocent, he also wins. The neighbours' only victory is accusing Baldomero and having his word fail. That makes accusation a high-risk play: a hunch can hand over the round. Before voting, the group needs a concrete reason, not just a feeling that someone sounded odd.",[89],{"src":90,"alt":91,"label":92},"\u002Fimages\u002Fgames\u002Fportero-baldomero\u002Fcaja.webp","Box cover of El Portero Baldomero, with the concierge peering out of his office door and two neighbours silhouetted outside.","The game box",{"question":94,"options":95,"answer":53,"explanation":98},"When do the neighbours win?",[96,97],"They point at Baldomero and he misses the word","They point at anyone and get it right","Only that combination gives the round to the neighbours; the other two give it to Baldomero.",{"title":100,"text":101,"images":102,"check":105},"Simultaneous voting needs coordination","Votes are simultaneous, so you cannot wait to see what others do: if the group splits, an innocent is very likely to be accused and Baldomero wins. The discussion is the real vote. Before raising hands, propose a candidate and ask the others to commit; if there are two candidates, argue until one is left. Unity beats individual intuition.",[103],{"src":104,"alt":61,"label":62},"\u002Fimages\u002Fgames\u002Fportero-baldomero\u002Fguia-esquema-3.webp",{"question":106,"options":107,"answer":53,"explanation":110},"Why agree on a candidate before voting?",[108,109],"Because a split vote can point at an innocent","Because secret votes do not count","Voting is simultaneous: without prior agreement the group can split and give the round away.",{"title":112,"text":113,"images":114,"check":116},"Baldomero can accuse too","Baldomero does not only defend: he can sow doubt about an innocent and push the vote towards them. His best play is not talking a lot but asking a question or making an observation that sounds reasonable and redirects attention. If the group does not watch who starts the accusations, Baldomero can win without saying a single word about the mailbox.",[115],{"src":60,"alt":61,"label":62},{"question":117,"options":118,"answer":53,"explanation":121},"What is Baldomero's best weapon in the debate?",[119,120],"Sowing doubt about an innocent","Confessing that he has no key","If the vote lands on an innocent, he wins the round without guessing the word.",{"min":123,"max":124},10,20,"md",[127,131,134,137,141,144,148,151,154,158],{"category":128,"question":129,"answer":130},"setup","How many players do you need?","Three to eight. It works best with five or six, when there are enough words to hide the doorman and enough debate to make accusations meaningful. With three there is too little cover, and with eight the rulebook adds adjustments to make it harder.",{"category":128,"question":132,"answer":133},"How long is a round?","Two or three minutes: one roll, one pass of words and one vote. A full game is several rounds in a row, around fifteen minutes in total.",{"category":128,"question":135,"answer":136},"Can you play with blank mailboxes?","Yes, the game includes a notebook for making your own. Just write sixteen words on a theme everyone knows; homemade mailboxes usually work best with a specific group.",{"category":138,"question":139,"answer":140},"turn","What if two players say the same word?","Nothing happens: repeats are more common than they look and there is no penalty. What you may not repeat is the secret word from the mailbox.",{"category":138,"question":142,"answer":143},"Can Baldomero just say a random word?","He can, but a word that does not fit the previous ones marks him. The usual approach is to wait for two or three words and then offer something broad enough to fit any nearby topic.",{"category":145,"question":146,"answer":147},"special","What if the vote is tied?","All tied players reveal their cards. If Baldomero is among them, he is caught and moves on to his chance at naming the word.",{"category":145,"question":149,"answer":150},"Can Baldomero read the mailbox?","Yes. The card sits in the middle and is public: all sixteen words are visible to everyone. What he lacks is the key that turns the dice into one specific word, so he sees the pool but not the target.",{"category":145,"question":152,"answer":153},"Are there special rules for three or for seven-eight players?","The rulebook includes adjustments for those counts: with three there are so few neighbours that the doorman hides easily, and with seven or eight extra rules stop him from vanishing into the crowd.",{"category":155,"question":156,"answer":157},"end","Do you keep score?","Not really. The game is designed as a chain of quick rounds: play, laugh, deal again. You can note who wins each round if you like, but the rulebook does not ask for it.",{"category":155,"question":159,"answer":160},"Who starts the next round?","Whoever was Baldomero in the previous one. It rotates the role without drawing lots and gives the initiative to the player who just lost.","2026-10-24","en","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.zacatrus.es",[165,166,167,168],"Hidden roles","Word association","Voting","Bluffing",{},true,"\u002Fen\u002Fportero-baldomero",{"min":173,"max":174,"best":175},3,8,[176,177],5,6,"Zacatrus",{"pitch":180,"pitchCheck":181,"setup":187,"turn":264,"mistakes":336,"winning":364,"winningCheck":365},"El Portero Baldomero is a bluffing and deduction game for 3 to 8 players in which one of them plays the building's nosy doorman. Each round a mailbox card with sixteen words goes in the middle and doorbell cards are dealt: every card except one carries the key that turns a roll of two eight-sided dice into the word the neighbours must talk about. The player holding Baldomero has no key: they must pretend to read the mailbox, say a word that fits the others and work out the topic without being caught. If the neighbours point at Baldomero and he guesses the word, he wins; if they point at an innocent, he wins as well.",{"question":182,"options":183,"answer":53,"explanation":186},"What happens if the neighbours accuse someone who is not Baldomero?",[184,185],"Baldomero wins the round on the spot","The vote is repeated","Accusing an innocent hands the round to the doorman; you only win by pointing at him.",[188,202,215,229,240,251],{"text":189,"images":190,"check":196},"Choose a mailbox card and put it in the middle of the table, on the landing. Every card holds sixteen words; for the first games use one of the standard cards and save the notebook for building your own mailboxes.",[191,192],{"src":45,"alt":46,"label":47},{"src":193,"alt":194,"label":195},"\u002Fimages\u002Fgames\u002Fportero-baldomero\u002Fguia-libreta-1.webp","Open score pad with an entry and a pencil beside it.","Score pad",{"question":197,"options":198,"answer":53,"explanation":201},"How many words does each mailbox card hold?",[199,200],"Sixteen","Eight","Sixteen words per mailbox, laid out in a grid.",{"text":203,"images":204,"check":209},"Shuffle the doorbell cards, including Baldomero's, and deal one to each player. There must be as many cards as neighbours at the table, the doorman included.",[205],{"src":206,"alt":207,"label":208},"\u002Fimages\u002Fgames\u002Fportero-baldomero\u002Fguia-cartas-1.webp","Game cards face up in a fan, none covering another.","Cards",{"question":210,"options":211,"answer":53,"explanation":214},"How many Baldomero cards go into the deck?",[212,213],"Just one","One per four players","There is only one doorman per round: a single Baldomero card.",{"text":216,"images":217,"check":223},"Everyone looks at their card in secret. The neighbours' cards carry the key that translates the dice roll into a word on the mailbox; one card reads \"Tú eres Baldomero\" and has no key at all.",[218,219],{"src":206,"alt":207,"label":208},{"src":220,"alt":221,"label":222},"\u002Fimages\u002Fgames\u002Fportero-baldomero\u002Fguia-dados-1.webp","Dice in the foreground with the relevant face showing.","Dice",{"question":224,"options":225,"answer":53,"explanation":228},"What does Baldomero's card hold?",[226,227],"No key at all: it only says he is the doorman","A key different from the others","Baldomero cannot read the mailbox; that is why he has to infer the topic.",{"text":230,"images":231,"check":234},"Keep the two eight-sided dice within reach. Decide who starts: the rulebook suggests the last person to greet the doorman or, failing agreement, a random player.",[232],{"src":233,"alt":221,"label":222},"\u002Fimages\u002Fgames\u002Fportero-baldomero\u002Fguia-dados-2.webp",{"question":235,"options":236,"answer":53,"explanation":239},"Who rolls the dice?",[237,238],"Whoever opens the round","Always Baldomero","The player who opens the round rolls, and the result applies to everyone.",{"text":241,"images":242,"check":245},"In the first round the starting player rolls the dice and every neighbour checks their key to learn which word to talk about. Baldomero pretends to read the mailbox and uses the moment to memorise the words on show.",[243],{"src":244,"alt":221,"label":222},"\u002Fimages\u002Fgames\u002Fportero-baldomero\u002Fguia-dados-3.webp",{"question":246,"options":247,"answer":53,"explanation":250},"Why does Baldomero look at the mailbox?",[248,249],"To learn the sixteen words and narrow down the target","He cannot look at it at all","He may read the mailbox like anyone else; what he lacks is the key to the exact word.",{"text":252,"images":253,"check":258},"Remember the goals: neighbours win by pointing at Baldomero when he fails to name the word; Baldomero wins if they accuse an innocent, or if, once caught, he names the topic.",[254],{"src":255,"alt":256,"label":257},"\u002Fimages\u002Fgames\u002Fportero-baldomero\u002Fguia-personaje-1.webp","Whole character card, name and artwork visible.","Character",{"question":259,"options":260,"answer":53,"explanation":263},"When does a caught Baldomero still win?",[261,262],"If he guesses the word of the round","If he gets voted for twice","Being pointed at is not the end: he gets one shot at the word.",[265,277,288,302,314,325],{"title":266,"text":267,"images":268,"check":271},"Roll and read the mailbox","Whoever opens the round rolls the two eight-sided dice. Each neighbour cross- references the result with the key on their doorbell card to find the word. For Baldomero there is no key: he pretends to read and sees which words are in play.",[269,270],{"src":220,"alt":221,"label":222},{"src":206,"alt":207,"label":208},{"question":272,"options":273,"answer":53,"explanation":276},"What sets the word of the round?",[274,275],"The dice roll plus the key on each card","The doorbell card you happen to hold","The roll is shared; the key only translates it into a word on the mailbox.",{"title":278,"text":279,"images":280,"check":282},"One word per neighbour","Starting with the player who rolled and going clockwise, everyone says a single word related to the secret word. You may not say the word itself or an obvious variant of it.",[281],{"src":233,"alt":221,"label":222},{"question":283,"options":284,"answer":53,"explanation":287},"Can you say the secret word?",[285,286],"No, you have to circle it with a related word","Yes, if nobody has said it yet","Saying the word out loud ends the round and gives the whole thing away.",{"title":289,"text":290,"images":291,"check":296},"Baldomero improvises","The doorman listens to the others and offers his own word as if he knew the topic. If he lands close, he blends in; if he is too vague or too far off, the neighbours start looking his way.",[292],{"src":293,"alt":294,"label":295},"\u002Fimages\u002Fgames\u002Fportero-baldomero\u002Fguia-mesa-1.webp","The table mid-turn, with the pieces the step mentions.","Table in play",{"question":297,"options":298,"answer":53,"explanation":301},"What does Baldomero do on his turn?",[299,300],"Say a word that fits what he has heard","Pass without saying anything","Everyone says a word; staying silent is the fastest way to get pointed at.",{"title":303,"text":304,"images":305,"check":308},"Debate and accusations","Once everyone has spoken, the gossip begins: which words fit, who was too vague, who said something only explainable by knowing the word. Careful, because this phase also feeds Baldomero information.",[306],{"src":307,"alt":294,"label":295},"\u002Fimages\u002Fgames\u002Fportero-baldomero\u002Fguia-mesa-2.webp",{"question":309,"options":310,"answer":53,"explanation":313},"What is the risk of the debate?",[311,312],"Baldomero can infer the word from what is said","The round runs out of time","Every clarification helps the neighbours and the doorman alike.",{"title":315,"text":316,"images":317,"check":319},"Simultaneous vote","Everyone points at once at the player they believe is Baldomero. On a tie, all tied players reveal their cards: if Baldomero is among them, he is caught.",[318],{"src":206,"alt":207,"label":208},{"question":320,"options":321,"answer":53,"explanation":324},"How do you vote?",[322,323],"By pointing at the same time","Out loud, one by one","The vote is simultaneous so nobody can herd votes after seeing the rest.",{"title":326,"text":327,"images":328,"check":330},"Resolving the round","If the accused player is Baldomero, he reveals his card and gets one chance: name the word and he wins, miss it and the neighbours win. If the accused player is a neighbour, Baldomero reveals himself and takes the round outright.",[329],{"src":206,"alt":207,"label":208},{"question":331,"options":332,"answer":53,"explanation":335},"What happens when an innocent is accused?",[333,334],"Baldomero wins the round immediately","The two most-voted players face a runoff","There is one accusation per round: missing it hands the win to the doorman.",[337,346,355],{"title":338,"text":339,"check":340},"Words that are too obvious","If the topic is football and someone says \"goal\", the word is nearly exposed and Baldomero can guess it if caught. Neighbours should circle the topic, not compete over who is clearest.",{"question":341,"options":342,"answer":53,"explanation":345},"Which word should you say?",[343,344],"One related but not obvious","The closest possible to the topic","The trick is for neighbours to recognise each other without handing the topic to the doorman.",{"title":347,"text":348,"check":349},"Baldomero always speaking last","Waiting for everyone else is comfortable but suspicious: whoever always lets three or four turns pass before speaking gives themselves away. Sometimes it pays to gamble early with a broad word.",{"question":350,"options":351,"answer":53,"explanation":354},"Why is always waiting dangerous?",[352,353],"The pattern of speaking late gives you away","The rules force you to speak first","The speaking order is fixed, but the way you improvise shows.",{"title":356,"text":357,"check":358},"Accusing out of habit","Always pointing at the same suspect, or at whoever talks most, loses the round if they are innocent. Listen to the words, not the faces: the odd choice is a better lead than personal dislike.",{"question":359,"options":360,"answer":53,"explanation":363},"What does accusing an innocent cost?",[361,362],"The round: Baldomero wins","Nothing, you can vote again","A failed accusation is an immediate win for the doorman.","Every round produces a winner: the neighbours if they point at Baldomero and he misses the word, or Baldomero if he is pointed at and guesses it, and also if the neighbours accuse an innocent. There is no scoreboard: rounds are chained until the group has had enough, and the player who was Baldomero opens the next one.",{"question":366,"options":367,"answer":53,"explanation":370},"What does Baldomero win by naming the word after being caught?",[368,369],"The round, even though he was pointed at","Nothing, he has already been caught","The accusation only pays if he also misses the word: that is his second chance.","Reglamento ES (Zacatrus, 2017)",{"title":5,"description":16},[374],"reglamentos-pdf\u002Fextraidos\u002Fportero-baldomero\u002Freglas_ES.txt","The Spanish rulebook is a scan covering setup, the doorbell-card deal, the dice roll, the word round, the vote and the resolution. It does not include the text of the twelve mailboxes and does not detail the three-player and seven-eight-player adjustments, which this guide only mentions. The rulebook was consulted online: BGG blocks direct PDF downloads.","en\u002Fportero-baldomero",[378,382,385,388,392,395,398,402,405],{"level":379,"title":380,"text":381},"beginner","Circle the topic, never name it","As a neighbour, your word must sound like the secret one without being it. Think of a nearby category, a consequence or an object: clear enough for the others to recognise, vague enough not to hand it over.",{"level":379,"title":383,"text":384},"Listen before improvising","As Baldomero, do not fire on your first turn. Listen to two or three words and look for the common field: if they all belong to several categories, your room to manoeuvre grows.",{"level":379,"title":386,"text":387},"Do not vote for the loudest","The biggest talker is usually the one defending himself, not the guilty one. Watch the words: whoever says something that only makes sense if you know the topic is the real suspect.",{"level":389,"title":390,"text":391},"intermediate","Keep a wildcard word","As the doorman, have two or three broad words ready that fit many topics. When your turn comes, pick the one that matches what you heard rather than the first idea.",{"level":389,"title":393,"text":394},"Build a false pattern","If you are Baldomero, accuse someone with a plausible argument: steering suspicion makes you look like a neighbour. Do not overdo it, though; the one who accuses too much also attracts attention.",{"level":389,"title":396,"text":397},"Ask questions that cost nothing","During the debate, ask about ambiguous words: you force the neighbours to explain themselves and you can learn something without giving anything away. It is the best way to listen without exposing yourself.",{"level":399,"title":400,"text":401},"advanced","Count which words fit","If the words said can only belong to a couple of topics on the mailbox, you already have the answer. Advanced Baldomero play is about crossing words off the grid instead of hunting for a general idea.",{"level":399,"title":403,"text":404},"Sow doubt as a neighbour","If your word is too revealing, it pays to defend a different reading. A neighbour who argues about their own word confuses the doorman and strengthens their alibi.",{"level":399,"title":406,"text":407},"Vote by consensus, not by gut","Before pointing, check whether two or three people noticed the same thing. A failed accusation is so expensive that ten seconds comparing suspicions is always worth it.","One player is the nosy doorman: talk about the secret word without knowing it and catch Baldomero before he overhears you.",1.2,"2017","ZOOsKZdKUDZk76GKIsQa0s_56Gp_xB7NcC4fQldm9xk",[],1792930450450]