
- BGG rank
- BGG #27,981
- BGG rating
- 5.5
Ghostly Galleon
- 2–4 players
- 45 min
- Complexity 1.6/5
- 1991

1988
Rules assistance for Bewitched
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.
Bewitched is a board game released in 1988 for 2–4 players, 45 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by Malcolm Goldsmith and Michael Kindred and its main mechanics are Roll / Spin and Move and Pick-up and Deliver.
The players have three frogs each and need to retrieve the witch's spell book in order to be turned back into princes. There are four spell books, one real and three fakes, hidden under witches' hats. Frogs try to find the real spell book and return with it to their lily pads - the first to do so is the winner. To make matters more difficult, books can be stolen from other frogs and there are snakes and cats. The snakes lie on the tracks and must be hopped over. Some bite - they have a magnet that is attracted to some (not all) of the frogs - others just lie still. Flowers are collected as an antidote to snake bites. Players can move a cat each turn instead of a frog. No frog would dare walk past a cat, so they are placed in the way of frogs to hold them up and allow or prevent the theft of a book.
Bewitched 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 Bewitched is 45 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 Bewitched for ages 8 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.
Bewitched 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.
Bewitched belongs to these categories: Fantasy and Children's Game. Its main mechanics are Roll / Spin and Move and Pick-up and Deliver. 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 Bewitched are: Malcolm Goldsmith and Michael Kindred. 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 Bewitched 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.