- BGG rating
- 6.3
Backyard Builders Treehouse: Achievement Expansion
- 2–5 players
- 10 min
- 2016
- BGG rank
- BGG #30,307
- BGG rating
- 5.3
Backyard Builders Treehouse
2016
Rules assistance for Backyard Builders Treehouse
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–5 players
- 10 min
- 6+
- Complexity 1.0/5
Rules assistant for Backyard Builders Treehouse
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Backyard Builders Treehouse is a board game released in 2016 for 2–5 players, 10 minutes per game, and ages 6 and up. It was designed by David Short and its main mechanics are Set Collection and Open Drafting.
Expansions
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About the game
Backyard Builders Treehouse — released in the France as Way Up High — is a reimplementation of Yardmaster Express with players now trying to climb vertically to build a treehouse instead of adding cars to their train engine. The game starts with the first player drafting a room card from their hand, attaching it to their tree, then passing the rest of their hand to the player on the left. This draft continues until all players have added one room card to their tree for each round of the game. The trick is, while each new room card must match the type or value of the one previously played, players always have the option to play any card face down as a "wild" room; wild rooms don't have much value, but they can be used to save a player in a bind or to thwart your opponents by "hiding" a card they need.
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- IELLO
- Crash Games
Questions and answers
Backyard Builders Treehouse 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 Backyard Builders Treehouse is 10 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 Backyard Builders Treehouse for ages 6 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.
Backyard Builders Treehouse 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.
Backyard Builders Treehouse belongs to these categories: Card Game. Its main mechanics are Set Collection and Open Drafting. 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 Backyard Builders Treehouse are: David Short. 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 Backyard Builders Treehouse 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.