
- BGG rank
- BGG #13,593
- BGG rating
- 6.3
Mini DiverCity
- 1–7 players
- 15–20 min
- Complexity 1.5/5
- 2018

2017
Rules assistance for BrilliAnts
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 1 player

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Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
BrilliAnts is a board game released in 2017 for 1–6 players, 30–80 minutes per game, and ages 14 and up. It was designed by Maxime Tardif and its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Hand Management, and Area Majority / Influence.
It's the end of the season and new ant Queens try to establish their nest in a quiet forest where the food seems abundant. Each player manages and controls a new colony of ants. It is now time to harvest food and prepare the nest for the coming winter! But beware, this must be done in accordance with the directives from the headquarters in order to get the needed resources while ensuring a key position on the territory for the next season. All that while taking into account the temperature that will sometimes give slight advantages to specific types of ants. Ready? Try to be the colony that gathers the most victory points. On your mark, ready, go! BrilliAnts is a flexible game where players alternatively plays one action: either lay an egg, move an ant or displace a predator. The game is separated between days and nights and a round ends when everybody has moved all their ants, laid one egg and moved a predator once. There are three types of ants in the game, warrior, engineer and farmer and three predators, a spider, a grasshopper and a worm. Each type of ant gather one type of resources, either insects, plants and the predators can each destroy tiles of those specific resources. There are three different insects, plants and types of clays. The game first consist of a main board where players interacts with each other by chasing prey, harvesting plants and establishing territories with pheromones. Second, all players have an individual board where they dig their nest and create new holes to move their ants faster on the surface. You'll need to choose your prey, plants or type of clay carefully to complete your objectives in time! Every player begins the game with a hand of three hidden objective cards. Throughout the game players will get new cards that they'll have to gather in the nest headquarters accordingly to their strategies. A maximum hand size of four objectives is set, so you'll need to manage the resources as good as you can. For the most advanced player, the game also includes specific player powers and specific power cards which can be played anytime during a player's turn. All participants receive five of those cards at the beginning of the game. Explore the different ways to victory in this fast paced ant game where you build a lot in a short time! Enjoy it with your family and friends as it takes you to a whole new world of hard working and well organized BrilliAnts! Microbadges:
BrilliAnts supports 1–6 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 BrilliAnts is 30–80 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 BrilliAnts for ages 14 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.
BrilliAnts has a complexity rating of 2.3 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-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.
BrilliAnts belongs to these categories: Card Game, Animals, and Territory Building. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Hand Management, and Area Majority / Influence. 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 BrilliAnts are: Maxime Tardif. 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 BrilliAnts 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.