- BGG rank
- BGG #11,501
- BGG rating
- 6.3
Carrousel
2006
Rules assistance for Carrousel
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–4 players
- 15 min
- 7+
- Complexity 1.3/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Carrousel
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Carrousel is a board game released in 2006 for 2–4 players, 15 minutes per game, and ages 7 and up. It was designed by Max Gerchambeau.
About the game
Carrousel is a game without turns. The board shows a carrousel with seven spaces in a circle. Placed on this (on five adjacent spaces) are five different-colored horses. The game also contains a deck of cards, each showing three horses in different colors. At the start of the game, each player is dealt nine cards and lays them out in front of herself. The object is then to make the three horses at the front of the carrousel be in the same order as on one of one's cards. When this happens, you get a point for that card (put it upside-down in a private score pile) and get to draw a new one. There are a number of legal moves to make, like swapping the places of two horses, placing the last one first and so on. To score a card, you must perform a move to make the first three horses match one of your cards. If you make a move and they don't fit, you lose one point. If you're not fast enough, someone else will move something, messing up your plans. The game has been illustrated by Stéphane Poinsot. From the publisher's website: Here's a strange merry go round! Its wooden horses, joking and mocking, have come to life and nothing can stop them for turning in any direction! If you want to ride, you'll have to catch them! To play Carrousel, you don't have to be a knight, jockey or a cossack. A little speed and observation will do. Find the right color combinations and move your horses quickly before your opponents do it for you! Carrousel is a game of speed and observation by Max Gerchambeaux who, when he's not cooking one of the best cassoulets in Paris in his restaurant, invents smart games for the whole family!
Questions and answers
Carrousel 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 Carrousel 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 Carrousel for ages 7 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.
Carrousel has a complexity rating of 1.3 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.
Carrousel belongs to these categories: Animals, Puzzle, and Real-time. Categories describe the theme, setting and style of a game rather than its rules. Filter the catalogue by the same category to find similar games when you enjoyed Carrousel and want something comparable for your next game night.
The credited designers of Carrousel are: Max Gerchambeau. 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 Carrousel 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.