
- BGG rank
- BGG #2,110
- BGG rating
- 7.0
Belratti
- 3–7 players
- 25 min
- Complexity 1.1/5
- 2018

2019
Rules assistance for Banana Bandido
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 2 players

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Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Banana Bandido is a board game released in 2019 for 2–5 players, 15–30 minutes per game, and ages 9 and up. It was designed by Michael Loth and its main mechanics are Open Drafting, Card Play Conflict Resolution, and Contracts.
In Banana Bandido, you are monkeys in the Wild West and you try to prevail against the other monkeys. Manipulation and deceptive alliances determine the rambling around the bananas. And in the saloon, sticks are sometimes used to attack one another. Like all the other monkeys in the saloon, you only have one goal in mind: BANANA! But where to take from, if not steal? Or steal ?! There can only be one winner in the fight for the bananas. Will you be it? Game Story You are monkeys in the Wild West trying to prevail against each other. Manipulation and deceptive alliances determine the rambling for bananas. And in the saloon, sticks are some-times used to attack one another. GOAL OF THE GAME There are two ways to win: The player collects victory points. You get one victory point in exchange for five bananas. Once a player has collected five victory points, they win the game. The player collects symbols. Each character card shows a certain combination of three symbols (stone / water / coconut) located at the top of their character card. A player wins as soon as they have collected their three symbols. These symbols are activated by playing coresponding action cards. So if you are the first to collect five victory points or the three matching symbols on your character card, you win the game. How to Play Phase 1: Draw a reward card The player who monkeys around the most begins. They draw any one reward card in the display in Phase 1 of which they see only the front side. However, they receive the reward on the front and the previously hidden back side of the reward card. The drawn reward card then must laid on the discard pile. Phase 2: In Phase 2 the Player can choose between the following options: Activate action card, play an effect, disable action card The character cards There are six different characters. Each character card shows a combination of symbols for the symbol victory at the top. As soon as a player has activated the action cards with all the corresponding symbols, they win the game. Under the symbols the character is pictured with the respective special effect. The special effect can only be played once in the entire game. It can be done anytime during your own turn. To do this, the player places the character card face up in front of them for the rest of the game, so that the symbols are also revealed. End of the Game Once a player has five victory points or their combination of three required symbols in front of them, they win the game. It is also possible that four symbols are laid out. —description from the designer Ihr seid Affen im Wilden Westen und versucht euch gegen die anderen Affen durchzusetzen. Manipulation und trügerische Bündnisse bestimmen das Rangeln um die Bananen. Und im Saloon wird auch mal mit Stöcken aufeinander losgegangen. Wie alle anderen Affen im Saloon hast du nur ein Ziel vor Augen: BANANA! Doch woher nehmen, wenn nicht stehlen? Oder doch stehlen?! Im Kampf um die Bananen kann es nur einen Gewinner geben. Wirst du es sein? —description from the designer (German)
Banana Bandido 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 Banana Bandido is 15–30 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 Banana Bandido for ages 9 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.
Banana Bandido has a complexity rating of 1.5 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.
Banana Bandido belongs to these categories: Fighting and Humor. Its main mechanics are Open Drafting, Card Play Conflict Resolution, and Contracts. 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 Banana Bandido are: Michael Loth. 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 Banana Bandido 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.