- BGG rank
- BGG #1,629
- BGG rating
- 7.4
Photograph
- 2–4 players
- 20 min
- Complexity 2.1/5
- 2016
- BGG rank
- BGG #6,892
- BGG rating
- 6.5
Before the Guests Arrive
2022
Rules assistance for Before the Guests Arrive
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–4 players
- 15 min
- 7+
- Complexity 1.4/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Before the Guests Arrive
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Before the Guests Arrive is a board game released in 2022 for 2–4 players, 15 minutes per game, and ages 7 and up. It was designed by Saashi and its main mechanics are Set Collection.
Similar games
- BGG rank
- BGG #4,268
- BGG rating
- 7.1
Bus & Stop
- 2–4 players
- 15 min
- Complexity 1.2/5
- 2024
- BGG rank
- BGG #2,996
- BGG rating
- 7.2
Let's Make a Bus Route
- 2–5 players
- 20–30 min
- Complexity 1.9/5
- 2018
- BGG rank
- BGG #6,222
- BGG rating
- 7.3
Let's Make a Bus Route: The Dice Game
- 1–2 players
- 30 min
- Complexity 2.2/5
- 2021
- BGG rank
- BGG #2,710
- BGG rating
- 7.0
In Front of the Elevators
- 2–4 players
- 20–40 min
- Complexity 1.4/5
- 2019
- BGG rank
- BGG #8,128
- BGG rating
- 6.4
1 A.M. Jailbreak
- 2–5 players
- 20 min
- Complexity 1.0/5
- 2024
- BGG rank
- BGG #1,104
- BGG rating
- 7.7
Come Sail Away!
- 1–4 players
- 25 min
- Complexity 2.1/5
- 2023
- BGG rank
- BGG #1,735
- BGG rating
- 6.9
Get on Board: New York & London
- 2–5 players
- 30 min
- Complexity 1.9/5
- 2022
- BGG rank
- BGG #2,712
- BGG rating
- 7.3
Remember Our Trip
- 2–4 players
- 30 min
- Complexity 2.1/5
- 2019
- BGG rank
- BGG #4,733
- BGG rating
- 6.9
Get on Board: Paris & Roma
- 1–5 players
- 30 min
- Complexity 2.1/5
- 2023
- BGG rank
- BGG #5,331
- BGG rating
- 7.3
The Great Evening Banquet
- 1–4 players
- 30 min
- Complexity 1.9/5
- 2025
- BGG rank
- BGG #6,393
- BGG rating
- 6.9
Newsboys
- 1–4 players
- 20 min
- Complexity 1.8/5
- 2023
About the game
Today we're having a party! But everyone's stuff is littered around the house, so before the guests arrive, we have to straighten up this place. Grandma and Grandpa will pitch in, too, but the guests might show up at any time. Try to quickly tidy up more stuff than anyone else. Can each family member finish straightening up, and get ready to receive the guests with out any mishaps? In Before the Guests Arrive, you do your best to tidy up a messy house for a party. To set up the game, shuffle the guests card into a small pack of cards and place it on the bottom of the deck. Lay out 10-13 cards in an interlocking series of rows and columns. On a turn, choose a row or column, and take all cards in it, adding them to your collection; if at most three cards are in the display, first refill the display, then choose a row or column. After taking cards, you can tidy up with one member of the family. The Mom, Dad, Girl, and Boy can each tidy up two types of stuff at a time, whereas Baby, Grandma, and Grandpa can each tidy up only one type. Stuff comes in five colors, and each color has three types of stuff, e.g., baby stuff (yellow) has blocks, bears, and lollipops. Yellow stuff can be tidied only by Baby, Grandma, and Grandpa, whereas red stuff can be tidied only by the Girl or Grandma. When tidying up a type of stuff, you can tidy as much of that type of stuff (i.e., stuff with the same illustration) as you like, so it's useful to get a bunch of the same stuff and tidy it all up together. When refilling the house, if the guest card appears, then the game ends, with everyone having one final chance to tidy up or discard a single card. Players then score points for the stars on what they've tidied, then lose points for stuff not tidied and family members not used. Whoever scores the most wins!
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Popcorn Games
- Helvetiq
- HRAS
- Fabrika Igr
- Saashi & Saashi
Questions and answers
Before the Guests Arrive supports 2–4 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 Before the Guests Arrive is 15 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 Before the Guests Arrive for ages 7 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.
Before the Guests Arrive has a complexity rating of 1.4 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.
Before the Guests Arrive belongs to these categories: Card Game. Its main mechanics are Set Collection. 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 Before the Guests Arrive are: Saashi. 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 Before the Guests Arrive 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.