- BGG rank
- BGG #5,916
- BGG rating
- 6.3
It's Alive!
- 2–5 players
- 15–30 min
- Complexity 1.6/5
- 2007
- BGG rank
- BGG #20,672
- BGG rating
- 6.8
Candle Quest
2005
Rules assistance for Candle Quest
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–5 players
- 30 min
- 5+
- Complexity 1.7/5
Rules assistant for Candle Quest
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Candle Quest is a board game released in 2005 for 2–5 players, 30 minutes per game, and ages 5 and up. It was designed by Yehuda Berlinger and its main mechanics are Set Collection and Auction / Bidding.
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About the game
Candle Quest is a quick set-collection, auction and money-management game in which you buy/sell/auction cards in order to be the first to collect the entire set of candles necessary to light your Menorah. On your turn, you either flip over a card from the draw pile, then buy, sell, or auction the card; or loot a card from a personal discard pile. The auction starts with you and goes once around but does not come back to you. If you win the auction, you pay the bank; if another player wins, they pay you and take the candle. In addition to candles, the deck includes unlit candles that you must pay off, but which can be used to pay off other unlit candles or loot candles. The deck also includes dancing candles that are wild, and can be used in place of any color. In the basic game, the first player to collect all eight differently colored candles wins. In the advanced game, the player with the highest score at game's end wins. Candle Quest includes a junior variant for ages five and six that removes auctions and discard pile purchases and changes unlit candles so that they can be used to steal a candle from another player. Candle Quest is a re-theme of It's Alive! with a new publisher and artist; while It's Alive! was a re-theme of the original self-published 2005 version of Candle Quest which was called The Menorah Game. While the theme features a Menorah related to the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah, there is no religious content in the game. What's In The Box?: • One full color 9-page Rules booklet • 60 Candle cards • 5 player screens • 54 Shekel coins • One bright red, 9 1/4" x 5 7/8" Standard cardboard VPG game box • One beautiful box cover sleeve • One "Wipes-A-Lot" napkin • One charcoal desiccant packet Reimplemented by (and reimplements) It's Alive!
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- (Self-Published)
- Victory Point Games
Questions and answers
Candle Quest 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 Candle Quest is 30 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 Candle Quest for ages 5 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.
Candle Quest has a complexity rating of 1.7 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.
Candle Quest belongs to these categories: Card Game, Children's Game, and Religious. Its main mechanics are Set Collection and Auction / Bidding. 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 Candle Quest are: Yehuda Berlinger. 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 Candle Quest 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.