
- BGG rank
- BGG #1,071
- BGG rating
- 6.9
Rhino Hero
- 2–5 players
- 5–15 min
- Complexity 1.0/5
- 2011

1910
Rules assistance for Boy Scouts
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.
Boy Scouts is a board game released in 1910 for 2–5 players, 45 minutes per game, and ages 6 and up. Its main mechanics are Hand Management.
This is an old Parker Brothers card game with a Scout theme. The deck contains 5 Patrols (suits) of 10 cards each with the cards numbered from 1 to 10. The 1 card is called the Patrol Leader. The player to the dealer's left starts by playing any card between 1 and 10 from his hand to the center of the table. The next player must either play a card from the same Patrol whose number is 1 greater or 1 less than the card on the table, or play a card from a different Patrol whose number is the same. For example, if an Owl 4 card is led, the next player may play an Owl 3 below it, an Owl 5 above it, or a 4 card from a different patrol (say a Wolf 4) adjacent to it (thus allowing Wolf cards to be played). The lead card designates the number that all other patrols must start on (in this example number 4). If a player has no legal play he must pass. The first player to play his last card scores points equal to the numbers on all the cards still in the other players hands. A Patrol Leader card counts as 15 points for scoring. The first player to score 250 points wins. According to the Dutch rules from publisher Goliath Games, the number of Patrols used in a game is equal to the number of players (e.g. only use 3 Patrols in a three player game).
Boy Scouts 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 Boy Scouts 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 Boy Scouts for ages 6 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.
Boy Scouts 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.
Boy Scouts belongs to these categories: Card Game and Children's Game. Its main mechanics are Hand Management. 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 catalogue lists Boy Scouts 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.