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Ryki Afryki: Hieny – karty promocyjne
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- 2022
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Botswana
1994
Rules assistance for Botswana
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–5 players
- 20–30 min
- 7+
- Complexity 1.3/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Botswana
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Botswana is a board game released in 1994 for 2–5 players, 20–30 minutes per game, and ages 7 and up. It was designed by Reiner Knizia and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Commodity Speculation, and Open Drafting.
Expansions
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About the game
Botswana / Wildlife Safari was originally published as Flinke Pinke. This game is one of those 'painfully simple' Reiner Knizia games. There are five different colored chips, with six cards, zero through five, in each of the colors. The cards are dealt out, and then players take turns playing a card and taking any available chip. When one color has all six cards played on it, then the game is over, and players use the last card played in each category to value their chips. The highest total value wins. Description of 1994 Milton Bradley re-issue Quandary, for 2-4 players: A game of placement, shares and nerve by Reiner Knizia, this is a lovely edition with nice, heavy tiles akin to Mah-jong pieces in weight and feel. Players in turn lay numbered pieces on tracks curling to the centre, and then take a share in any colour. The round ends when a track is filled. Scoring is based on your total share multiplied by the value of the final tile played on each track. So if you are collecting blue shares, I'll try and lay a blue 1 as near last as possible. Then you'll want to play a blue 5 to raise your possible score, but must take a share in a different colour. Same game, different production. Description of 2003 Fantasy Flight Games re-issue, Loco!, for 2-4 players: Here is the FOURTH version of the game that was originally Flinke Pinke only this time, the added "rule" is that whenever you play a card with a value of "0", you must say "Loco!" aloud or forfeit your opportunity to select one of the colored chips. Apart from that, the game is identical. Description of the 2010 Eagle-Gryphon Games games re-issue, Botswana, for 2-5 players: This fifth version of the game adds a safari theme. Rules and gameplay are unchanged from the original version (no rules about animal noises), but the chips are replaced by plastic animal figures and the cards are covered in matching animal fur patterns. In 2014, Gryphon Games released a new edition of this game as Wildlife Safari, featuring the same components and artwork but changing the title of the game.
Designers
Publishers
- PS-Games
- Siam Board Games
- Milton Bradley
- AMIGO
- Swan Panasia Co., Ltd.
- Muduko
- Mandoo Games
- Fantasy Flight Games
- Nexus Editrice
- AURUM, Inc.
- Esdevium
- Eagle-Gryphon Games
- New Games Order, LLC
- 25th Century Games
- Blackrock Games
- Midgaard Games
Questions and answers
Botswana supports 2–5 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 Botswana is 20–30 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 Botswana 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.
Botswana 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.
Botswana belongs to these categories: Card Game and Animals. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Commodity Speculation, and Open Drafting. 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 Botswana are: Reiner Knizia. 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 Botswana 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.