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- BGG rating
- 6.5
The Blood of an Englishman
- 2 players
- 20–30 min
- Complexity 1.8/5
- 2016
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- BGG rating
- 7.2
Arboretum
2015
Rules assistance for Arboretum
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–4 players
- 30 min
- 8+
- Complexity 2.1/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Arboretum
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Arboretum is a board game released in 2015 for 2–4 players, 30 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by Dan Cassar and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Set Collection, and Square Grid.
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About the game
Arboretum is a strategy card game for 2-4 players, aged 10 and up, that combines set collection, tile-laying and hand management while playing in about 25 minutes. Players try to have the most points at the end of the game by creating beautiful garden paths for their visitors. The deck has 80 cards in ten different colors, with each color featuring a different species of tree; each color has cards numbered 1 through 8, and the number of colors used depends on the number of players. Players start with a hand of seven cards. On each turn, a player draws two cards (from the deck or one or more of the discard piles), lays a card on the table as part of her arboretum, then discards a card to her personal discard pile. When the deck is exhausted, players compare the cards that remain in their hands to determine who can score each color. For each color, the player(s) with the highest value of cards in hand of that color scores for a path of trees in her arboretum that begins and ends with that color; a path is a orthogonally adjacent chain of cards with increasing values. For each card in a path that scores, the player earns one point; if the path consists solely of trees of the color being scored, the player scores two points per card. If a player doesn't have the most value for a color, she scores zero points for a path that begins and ends with that color. Whoever has the most points wins.
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Raven Distribution
- Rebel Sp. z o.o.
- Korea Boardgames
- MIPL
- Fractal Juegos
- ABACUSSPIELE
- Lavka Games
- Conclave Editora
- Filosofia Éditions
- Gen-X Games (GenX)
- Z-Man Games
- WoodCat
- Renegade Game Studios
- Vagabund
- TLAMA games
- Banana Games
- Ako Game
Questions and answers
Arboretum 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 Arboretum is 30 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 Arboretum for ages 8 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.
Arboretum has a complexity rating of 2.1 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.
Arboretum belongs to these categories: Card Game and Number. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Set Collection, and Square Grid. 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 Arboretum are: Dan Cassar. 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 Arboretum 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.