- BGG rank
- BGG #116
- BGG rating
- 7.8
Decrypto
- 3–8 players
- 15–45 min
- Complexity 1.8/5
- 2018
- BGG rank
- BGG #10,637
- BGG rating
- 6.9
Anomaly
2019
Rules assistance for Anomaly
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–4 players
- 45–60 min
- 14+
- Complexity 2.7/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Anomaly
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Anomaly is a board game released in 2019 for 2–4 players, 45–60 minutes per game, and ages 14 and up. It was designed by Thomas Dagenais-Lespérance and its main mechanics are Area Movement, Secret Unit Deployment, and Team-Based Game.
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About the game
Left for dead, three young students fight for their lives against an unknown entity. The creature, if that is what it is, seems to learn and evolve to counter their every move. They must hunt it down and destroy it, before it finds them first. Anomaly is a hidden movement, deduction, and combat game for 2-4 players. Players in this game are divided into 2 teams. One player is the Anomaly, while the other players are the Students. The goal of each team is to eliminate the other by depleting their health pool. Students share a collective health pool. All students and the Anomaly execute their movement behind a player screen, so it's rare to know exactly where another player is. Students will try to signal their location to the other students using location hint cards, and the Anomaly in turn will use these cards to triangulate the students' positions. The Anomaly needs to feed to stay alive, either on the fuel or the students themselves. The students will be working to destroy the Anomaly's fuel sources, and to damage it with improvised weapons like traps and stun batons. The students have cards with abilities on them that let them and attack or take other actions. However, when they use one of these actions, they must give the card to the Anomaly. The cards have inverse abilities for the Anomaly that will give it new powers, like Possess or Teleport. If the Anomaly gets enough cards, it will also be able to evolve and develop even more powerful abilities. The game ends when the health pool for either the Anomaly or the students is depleted. —description from the publisher
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- Starling Games (II)
- Tycoon Games
Questions and answers
Anomaly 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 Anomaly is 45–60 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 Anomaly 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.
Anomaly has a complexity rating of 2.7 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-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.
Anomaly belongs to these categories: Deduction, Horror, and Science Fiction. Its main mechanics are Area Movement, Secret Unit Deployment, and Team-Based Game. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Anomaly are: Thomas Dagenais-Lespérance. 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 Anomaly 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.