
- BGG rank
- BGG #3,492
- BGG rating
- 6.2
Exploding Kittens: NSFW Edition
- 2–5 players
- 10–20 min
- Complexity 1.1/5
- 2015

2025
Rules assistance for Animalcatraz
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Animalcatraz is a board game released in 2025 for 2–8 players, 90–120 minutes per game, and ages 14 and up. It was designed by Alain Matte.
──────────────────── ENGLISH ──────────────────── Animalcatraz is a competitive sandbox prison brawler for 2–8 players. Compete solo or team up inside a brutal animal prison where every decision shapes your rise to power. Fight, steal, recruit gangsters, corrupt guards, craft contraband weapons, and battle rivals to survive behind bars. Escape the island… or become the prison’s ruthless KINGPIN. With evolving alliances, betrayals, dynamic combat, and asymmetric convicts, every game creates a different story behind bars. ──────────────────── FRANÇAIS ──────────────────── Animalcatraz est un jeu compétitif de type sandbox prisonnier pour 2 à 8 joueurs. Affrontez-vous en solo ou faites équipe dans cette brutale prison animale où chacune de vos décisions influence votre ascension vers le pouvoir. Combattez, volez, recrutez des gangsters, corrompez les gardiens, fabriquez des armes de contrebande et tentez de survivre à cet enfer carcéral. Évadez-vous de l’île… ou devenez le redoutable KINGPIN de la prison. Avec ses alliances changeantes, ses trahisons, ses combats dynamiques et ses détenus asymétriques, chaque partie raconte une nouvelle histoire derrière les barreaux. ──────────────────── -description from designer
Animalcatraz supports 2–8 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 Animalcatraz is 90–120 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 Animalcatraz for ages 14 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.
Animalcatraz has a complexity rating of 3.0 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-weight 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.
Animalcatraz belongs to these categories: Fighting, Humor, and Animals. Categories describe the theme, setting and style of a game rather than its rules. Filter the catalogue by the same category to find similar games when you enjoyed Animalcatraz and want something comparable for your next game night.
The credited designers of Animalcatraz are: Alain Matte. 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 Animalcatraz 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.