- BGG rank
- BGG #8,432
- BGG rating
- 7.4
Dice Cards
- 1–99 players
- 15–30 min
- Complexity 1.4/5
- 2023
- BGG rank
- BGG #13,773
- BGG rating
- 7.0
BattleGoats
2016
Rules assistance for BattleGoats
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–6 players
- 5–30 min
- 9+
- Complexity 1.1/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for BattleGoats
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
BattleGoats is a board game released in 2016 for 2–6 players, 5–30 minutes per game, and ages 9 and up. It was designed by Tucker Smedes and Shannon Fyfe and its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Player Elimination, and Memory.
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About the game
BattleGoats is a War-style card game where players alternate turns in card battle to determine a winner using the highest number value. Number values change as the game goes on. The person with the last card in play wins. Rules are easy to pick up and games play in as little as 5-30 minutes for groups of 2-6 players. How to play: 1. Each player gets a random Hero and recruits an army of goats to battle with. 2. To build an army, all players are dealt 8 additional cards from the deck at random. Any remaining cards are set aside and not used for that game. 3. With 9 cards in hand, each player lays them out face down in a 3x3 pattern to set up their battlefield. 4. The player that finishes laying their battlefield out the fastest gets to choose who attacks first. 5. To attack, select one of your cards, then choose any one of your opponent’s cards. 6. Both cards are flipped over and the higher number after any modifiers wins. Special abilities or modifiers are shown on the bottom of each card. If the numbers are equal, both cards are defeated. 7. After the attack is finished, the losing card is discarded and the winning card flips back over, then it is the next players turn. (Here comes the Memory effect into play, just remember where you can attack cards with a lower number on it.) The player with the last card in play wins.
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- CardLords
Questions and answers
BattleGoats supports 2–6 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 BattleGoats is 5–30 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 BattleGoats 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.
BattleGoats has a complexity rating of 1.1 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.
BattleGoats belongs to these categories: Card Game. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Player Elimination, and Memory. 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 BattleGoats are: Tucker Smedes and Shannon Fyfe. 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 BattleGoats 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.