
- BGG rank
- BGG #30,050
- BGG rating
- 5.4
Change Horses
- 2–5 players
- 30 min
- Complexity 1.6/5
- 2008

1983
Rules assistance for Centipede
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

For 2 players
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Centipede is a board game released in 1983 for 2 players, 30 minutes per game, and ages 7 and up. It was designed by Bruce Whitehill.
From the back of the box: Enter the World of Centipede. A strange land of squirming centipedes, deadly scorpions, dangerous spiders, and poisonous mushrooms. Danger lurks at every turn as your centipede snakes through the winding mushroom field. Try to reach your opponent's home base before your opponent reaches yours. Shoot your opponent's centipede with your gun to slow it down. Move the scorpion to plant poisonous mushrooms along the path. When your centipede hits one it turns and takes a shortcut. Use the spider to attack your opponent's gun or to destroy poison mushrooms so your opponent can't use them. Move fast and shoot straight and you'll win the game. Includes: gameboard, 2 plastic centipedes, 1 plastic spider, 1 plastic scorpion, 20 plastic mushrooms, 2 plastic guns, 10 cardboard poison mushrooms, 1 spinner, and instructions
Centipede supports 2 players according to the catalogue. This is the publisher’s listed player count, so the game is designed for exactly that number of participants. Variants for other group sizes, if any, are described in the rulebook of your edition, so check it before setting up a different configuration.
The listed playing time for Centipede 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 Centipede 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.
Centipede has a complexity rating of 1.1 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.
Centipede belongs to these categories: Fighting, Animals, and Video Game Theme. 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 Centipede and want something comparable for your next game night.
The credited designers of Centipede are: Bruce Whitehill. 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 Centipede 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.