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- BGG #16,625
- BGG rating
- 6.6
Tea Time Crime
- 2–4 players
- 30–45 min
- Complexity 1.8/5
- 2023
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- BGG #12,481
- BGG rating
- 6.7
Ananda
2024
Rules assistance for Ananda
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–4 players
- 30–45 min
- 10+
- Complexity 1.5/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Ananda
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Ananda is a board game released in 2024 for 2–4 players, 30–45 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Dirk Barsuhn and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Tile Placement, and Pattern Building.
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About the game
Balance is the most important thing at Ananda, balance between body and soul, meditation and work, but above all between building and getting new building blocks. In Ananda, players build a temple with 63 domino-style tiles and let their monks meditate there. The larger the colored area built, the more karma points the player can collect. More specifically, at the start of their turn, a player must move their monk to a new colored area on the game board. They then play as many tiles from their hand as they wish, as long as at least one of the tiles is adjacent to their monk, all of the placed tiles expand the color area, and each tile covers precisely two tiles that are on the same level. (Tiles do not need to be on the same level to be part of the same color area.) After you finish placing tiles, count the number of squares that comprise the color area to determine your area value. You may then discard meditation cards of this color from your hand that sum to this number or less. Next, you draw face-down tiles from the reserve equal to the difference between your area value and your meditation value, with your rack holding at most eight tiles. Finally, if you have more tiles on your rack than cards in hand, draw cards from your personal deck to make those numbers match. Once all the tiles have been built, the player who has scored the most karma points with their played meditation cards wins.
Questions and answers
Ananda supports 2–4 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Ananda is 30–45 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Ananda for ages 10 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Ananda has a complexity rating of 1.5 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
The main mechanics of Ananda are Hand Management, Tile Placement, and Pattern Building. Mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns, such as rolling dice, drafting cards or placing workers. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you enjoyed Ananda and want something comparable.
The credited designers of Ananda are: Dirk Barsuhn. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Ananda as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.