
- BGG rank
- BGG #18,984
- BGG rating
- 6.6
Glifos
- 1–5 players
- 10–15 min
- Complexity 1.0/5
- 2024

2018
Rules assistance for Brainwaves: The Astute Goose
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

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Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Brainwaves: The Astute Goose is a board game released in 2018 for 1–5 players, 15 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by Reiner Knizia and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling and Memory.
Brainwaves is a series of games developed by game designers and neuroscientists in which players challenge their episodic memory, that is, their memory of recent personal events. In The Astute Goose, players need to identify a burglar hiding in a crowd. What did the culprit look like? What color were their clothes? And what animal accomplices did they have? Number cards from 1-6 lie on the table, with a suspect card next to each number. Players look at these cards, then turn them face down. On a turn, a player rolls the two dice: one showing a number, the other a characteristic of a burglar card. If the player can identify the correct item on the correct burglar card, they claim that card as a reward, then put a new card in its place. Whoever collects the most cards wins.
Brainwaves: The Astute Goose supports 1–5 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 Brainwaves: The Astute Goose 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.
The catalogue lists Brainwaves: The Astute Goose 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.
Brainwaves: The Astute Goose 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.
Brainwaves: The Astute Goose belongs to these categories: Card Game and Memory. Its main mechanics are Dice Rolling and Memory. 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 Brainwaves: The Astute Goose 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 Brainwaves: The Astute Goose 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.