- BGG rating
- 7.9
Bonfire: Trees & Creatures
- 1–5 players
- 70–130 min
- Complexity 3.7/5
- 2021
- BGG rank
- BGG #426
- BGG rating
- 7.6
Bonfire
2020
Rules assistance for Bonfire
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 1–4 players
- 70–100 min
- 12+
- Complexity 3.6/5
For 1 player
Rules assistant for Bonfire
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Bonfire is a board game released in 2020 for 1–4 players, 70–100 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Stefan Feld and its main mechanics are Set Collection, Point to Point Movement, and Tile Placement.
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About the game
The bonfires are sources of light, energy and warmth created by the guardians of light in order to brighten the cities on the otherwise dark planet. The residents of the cities, however, took the bonfires for granted and exploited them for their personal gain. Disappointed the guardians of light retreated and let the bonfires extinguish. The citizens could no longer live in the now dark cities and were forced to leave. You are a group of gnomes living close to the cities and you also need the light of the bonfires. Missing it now, you try yourself to visit the cities and learn how to ignite the bonfires once again: You must visit the guardians of light on their holy islands and ask for tasks to prove your good will. For each completed task, they will re-ignite one extinguished bonfire. Whoever manages to earn the greatest trust from the guardians and manages to brighten their city the most will win the game. The engine for Bonfire are the three-coloured tiles you will be puzzling onto your player board. When you manage to place the same colours adjacent to one another, you will receive more action tiles of that specific kind. This will allow you to specialize in certain types of actions and pursue different strategies. You can use the tiles to perform the following actions: Move your ship to an island Receive a task from an island by spending two resources Invite a guardian of light into your city Trigger a procession of guardians through your city and gain resources. Add a landscape tile to your city (this is where the processions take place) Recruit a gnome gaining a special ability or victory points Find support by the last bonfire, gaining portals, resources or action tiles You will play in turn order until a fixed number of tasks has been solved, after which each player has 5 more turns. During final scoring, you will receive points for your completed tasks (the bonfires) and any improvements made there (portals, landscapes or guardians). —description from the publisher
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Pegasus Spiele
- Hobby World
- Hobby Japan
- Matagot
- Maldito Games
- 999 Games
- Portal Games
- sternenschimmermeer
- Tesla Games
- Vem Pra Mesa Jogos
- Hall Games
Questions and answers
Bonfire supports 1–4 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 Bonfire is 70–100 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 Bonfire for ages 12 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.
Bonfire has a complexity rating of 3.6 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-weight 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.
Bonfire belongs to these categories: Fantasy. Its main mechanics are Set Collection, Point to Point Movement, and Tile Placement. 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 Bonfire are: Stefan Feld. 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 Bonfire 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.