- BGG rank
- BGG #13,544
- BGG rating
- 6.7
Age of Inventors
- 1–4 players
- 40–80 min
- Complexity 2.9/5
- 2024
- BGG rank
- BGG #21,060
- BGG rating
- 6.9
Bivouac
2021
Rules assistance for Bivouac
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–4 players
- 40–90 min
- 8+
- Complexity 2.5/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Bivouac
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Bivouac is a board game released in 2021 for 2–4 players, 40–90 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by Kris VanBogelen and its main mechanics are Income, End Game Bonuses, and Events.
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About the game
Bivouac is a camp-themed board game that tasks players with creating their own Camp/Retreat Center. The game is played over 13 rounds represented by the months of the year. Players utilize workers to gather resources, build amenities, add activities, recruit donors, obtain donor gifts, hire more workers, staff usable cards, and earn money/victory points. Usable amenities and activities are the driving forces for generating money and victory points. Some, however, are not usable every month of the year. Players must create a strategy for sustainable growth over the course of the entire year. Workers must be paid for their efforts each month. Additionally, negative cards, called Misfortunes, must be drawn as your camp grows which may affect your plan for the next round. End game bonuses provide additional victory points based on what you have accumulated throughout the game. Bivouac also comes with an expansion that includes activity upgrades and staff member cards that assist in a player's quest to become the best. The player with the most victory points at the end of 13 rounds is the winner. —description from the publisher
Designers
Publishers
- Sly Game Design
Questions and answers
Bivouac 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 Bivouac is 40–90 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 Bivouac 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.
Bivouac has a complexity rating of 2.5 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-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.
Bivouac belongs to these categories: Card Game, Economic, and Adventure. Its main mechanics are Income, End Game Bonuses, and Events. 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 Bivouac are: Kris VanBogelen. 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 Bivouac 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.