- BGG rating
- 6.4
Cacao: Die Lichtung
- 2–4 players
- Complexity 2.0/5
- 2015
- BGG rank
- BGG #799
- BGG rating
- 7.1
Cacao
2015
Rules assistance for Cacao
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–4 players
- 45 min
- 8+
- Complexity 1.8/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Cacao
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Cacao is a board game released in 2015 for 2–4 players, 45 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by Phil Walker-Harding and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Income, and Area Majority / Influence.
Expansions
- BGG rating
- 6.9
Cacao: Volcanoes
- 2–4 players
- 45 min
- Complexity 1.9/5
- 2015
- BGG rating
- 7.2
Cacao: Big Market
- 2–4 players
- 8–45 min
- Complexity 2.0/5
- 2016
- BGG rating
- 7.5
Cacao: Chocolatl
- 2–4 players
- 60 min
- Complexity 2.1/5
- 2016
- BGG rating
- 7.1
Cacao: Chocolatl – New Storage Spaces
- 2–4 players
- 60 min
- Complexity 1.7/5
- 2016
- BGG rating
- 7.3
Cacao: Golden Temple
- 2–4 players
- 45 min
- Complexity 2.0/5
- 2016
- BGG rating
- 7.4
Cacao: Diamante
- 2–4 players
- 60 min
- Complexity 2.0/5
- 2017
Similar games
- BGG rank
- BGG #1,510
- BGG rating
- 7.3
Llamaland
- 2–4 players
- 45 min
- Complexity 2.0/5
- 2021
- BGG rank
- BGG #307
- BGG rating
- 7.4
Tapestry
- 1–5 players
- 90–120 min
- Complexity 3.0/5
- 2019
- BGG rank
- BGG #2,354
- BGG rating
- 7.1
Citrus
- 2–5 players
- 60 min
- Complexity 2.5/5
- 2013
- BGG rank
- BGG #444
- BGG rating
- 7.5
Ginkgopolis
- 1–5 players
- 45 min
- Complexity 2.9/5
- 2012
- BGG rank
- BGG #3,421
- BGG rating
- 7.2
The Manhattan Project 2: Minutes to Midnight
- 2–5 players
- 90–150 min
- Complexity 3.6/5
- 2018
- BGG rank
- BGG #1,120
- BGG rating
- 7.2
Akrotiri
- 2 players
- 45 min
- Complexity 2.6/5
- 2014
- BGG rank
- BGG #503
- BGG rating
- 7.6
Boonlake
- 1–4 players
- 80–160 min
- Complexity 3.8/5
- 2021
- BGG rank
- BGG #3,189
- BGG rating
- 6.9
Fjords
- 2–4 players
- 30–45 min
- Complexity 1.5/5
- 2022
- BGG rank
- BGG #3,630
- BGG rating
- 6.5
Entdecker: Exploring New Horizons
- 2–4 players
- 90 min
- Complexity 2.4/5
- 2001
- BGG rank
- BGG #3,748
- BGG rating
- 6.5
Gheos
- 2–4 players
- 45–60 min
- Complexity 2.5/5
- 2006
- BGG rank
- BGG #3,981
- BGG rating
- 6.7
Dinner in Paris
- 2–4 players
- 40–60 min
- Complexity 2.2/5
- 2020
- BGG rank
- BGG #5,368
- BGG rating
- 8.2
Fest Season
- 1–5 players
- 50–125 min
- Complexity 3.4/5
- 2025
About the game
Cacao is a tile-placement game that immerses players in the exotic world of the "fruit of the Gods". As the chief of your tribe, you must lead your people to prosperity through the cultivation and trade of cacao — and to do that, you'll need to put them to work in the best way possible. In the game, each player has an individual deck of square worker tiles, with the number of workers on each side of the tile varying from tile to tile. The playing area starts with only a couple of jungle tiles in play: a cacao field and a small market; two jungle tiles are laid face up, and the remaining jungle tiles stacked as a draw pile. On a player's turn, he places one of her worker tiles on the board adjacent to one or more jungle tiles already in play, then (if two worker tiles are next to an empty space) adds one of the jungle tiles to the playing area in this space. Her workers then get busy and deliver the results of their effort: If you placed workers next to a cacao field, you receive one or two cacao markers per worker; if they're next to a market, you can choose to sell one cacao marker per worker at the listed price; if next to a well, you receive water; if next to a temple, they stand and look good until the end of the game; and so on. He then refills her hand from her personal deck to three worker tiles. Once all players have used all of their worker tiles, the game ends. Players score (or lose) points based on their water supply, and each temple rewards whichever players sent the most workers to it. In the end, whoever has collected the most gold wins.
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Devir
- Gémklub
- GoKids 玩樂小子
- Korea Boardgames
- uplay.it edizioni
- G3
- 999 Games
- cutia.ro
- ABACUSSPIELE
- Albi
- Lautapelit.fi
- Filosofia Éditions
- White Goblin Games
- Z-Man Games
- Fantasmagoria
- Cranio Creations
Questions and answers
Cacao supports 2–4 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 Cacao 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 Cacao 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.
Cacao has a complexity rating of 1.8 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.
Cacao belongs to these categories: Economic, Territory Building, and Farming. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Income, 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 Cacao are: Phil Walker-Harding. 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 Cacao 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.