
- BGG rank
- BGG #11,688
- BGG rating
- 5.8
Treehouse
- 2–4 players
- 20 min
- Complexity 1.3/5
- 2006

2007
Rules assistance for Black Ice
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 2 players

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Black Ice is a board game released in 2007 for 2 players and 15 minutes per game. It was designed by Andrew Looney and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Memory, and Pattern Building.
Players compete to uncover a secret code consisting of three elements, each of which may be one of four colors. They do this by taking actions determined by the roll of three Treehouse dice. Rules for this game were initially released in July 2007 as part of the 3HOUSE booklet; it is played using three complete Treehouse sets. It is unrelated to the Icehouse expansion of the same name released in 2000. Also included in Pyramid Arcade.
Black Ice supports 2 players according to the catalogue. This is the publisher’s listed player count, so the game is designed for exactly that number of participants. Variants for other group sizes, if any, are described in the rulebook of your edition, so check it before setting up a different configuration.
The listed playing time for Black Ice 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.
Black Ice has a complexity rating of 1.3 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.
Black Ice belongs to these categories: Abstract Strategy and Memory. Its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Memory, and Pattern Building. 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 Black Ice are: Andrew Looney. 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 Black Ice 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.