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- 7.1
Bastille
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Arche Noah
2013
Rules assistance for Arche Noah
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–5 players
- 25 min
- 8+
- Complexity 1.0/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Arche Noah
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Arche Noah is a board game released in 2013 for 2–5 players, 25 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by Christoph Behre and its main mechanics are Set Collection and Auction / Bidding.
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About the game
With a name like Arche Noah, it should come as no surprise that you want to collect animals in pairs. At the start of the game, players receive one animal card face down from the shuffled deck; the deck includes ten types of animals, with cards numbered 1-4 for each type. The player looks at this card in secret, and takes 10-12 purple chips and 2-3 green chips, depending on the number of players. Each round, animal cards are revealed equal to the number of players. In clockwise order from the starting player, each player bids a number of purple chips, then starting with the high bidder (going clockwise from the starting player in case of ties), each player takes one animal card and places it face down on his stack. If a player discards one of his green chips, he takes two animals instead, stiffing whoever comes last in the round! After all of the animals have been claimed, players reveal their collection. Pairs of the same type of animal score the sum of their numbers; if you have all four animals (two pairs), you receive 3 bonus points; if you have an animal which is not part of a pair, you lose points equal to its number. Each pair of purple chips is worth 1 point. After tallying the points, players shuffle the cards, refill their purple chips, receive one animal in secret, then play another round. At the end of that round, players score again, this time receiving 1 point for each green chip still in hand. Whoever has the highest total over two rounds wins!
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- AMIGO
Questions and answers
Arche Noah supports 2–5 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 Arche Noah is 25 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 Arche Noah 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.
Arche Noah has a complexity rating of 1.0 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.
Arche Noah belongs to these categories: Card Game, Animals, and Ancient. Its main mechanics are Set Collection and Auction / Bidding. 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 Arche Noah are: Christoph Behre. 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 Arche Noah 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.