- BGG rank
- BGG #24,046
- BGG rating
- 5.8
Grabolo
- 3–5 players
- 20 min
- Complexity 1.4/5
- 2012
- BGG rank
- BGG #23,817
- BGG rating
- 6.2
Brainwaves: The Wise Whale
2018
Rules assistance for Brainwaves: The Wise Whale
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 1–4 players
- 15 min
- 8+
- Complexity 1.0/5
For 1 player
Rules assistant for Brainwaves: The Wise Whale
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Brainwaves: The Wise Whale is a board game released in 2018 for 1–4 players, 15 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by Maureen Hiron and its main mechanics are Memory.
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About the game
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 Wise Whale, players lay nine cards showing different colorful sea creatures face down after trying to memorize which creatures are on which cards. On a player's turn, they reveal a new card from the deck, then must reveal a card that matches either the creature or the color on this new card. If they do, they claim this card, then lay out a new card face down in its place. Whoever collects the most cards wins.
Questions and answers
Brainwaves: The Wise Whale 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 Brainwaves: The Wise Whale 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 Wise Whale 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 Wise Whale 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.
The main mechanics of Brainwaves: The Wise Whale are Memory. Mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns, such as rolling dice, drafting cards or placing workers. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you enjoyed Brainwaves: The Wise Whale and want something comparable.
The credited designers of Brainwaves: The Wise Whale are: Maureen Hiron. 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 Wise Whale 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.