
- BGG rank
- BGG #1,571
- BGG rating
- 6.7
The Werewolves of Miller's Hollow
- 8–18 players
- 30 min
- Complexity 1.3/5
- 2001

2015
Rules assistance for BEARanoia
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
BEARanoia is a board game released in 2015 for 3–15 players and 1 minute per game. It was designed by Pete Butler and Jasmine Davis and its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Player Elimination, and Role Playing.
You've just arrived at your first day of camp but there's a problem... one of you is a bear! BEARanoia is a game of paranoia, vigilante justice, and bears! It only takes 60 seconds to play a round, and there is a lot of growling... The CAMPERS win if they kill the bear. The BEAR wins if somebody else is killed, or if the 60-second timer runs out. The BEAR CULTISTS want to martyr themselves and all of them win if one of them gets killed before time expires. Remember, bears can’t talk! They can only growl and stuff. So identifying the bear will be easy! Or, rather, it WOULD be easy, if it weren’t for those stupid cultists gumming up the works. There are lots of optional rules and roles built into the game too that can completely change how it all plays out. Sometimes there are even bears that can talk!
BEARanoia supports 3–15 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 BEARanoia is 1 minute. 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.
BEARanoia 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.
BEARanoia belongs to these categories: Party Game, Deduction, and Murder / Mystery. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Player Elimination, and Role Playing. 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 BEARanoia are: Pete Butler and Jasmine Davis. 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 BEARanoia 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.