- BGG rank
- BGG #27,487
- BGG rating
- 5.5
Oust
- 2 players
- 20–60 min
- Complexity 2.8/5
- 2007
- BGG rank
- BGG #28,243
- BGG rating
- 5.4
Cephalopod
2006
Rules assistance for Cephalopod
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2 players
- 20–60 min
- 5+
- Complexity 2.5/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Cephalopod
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Cephalopod is a board game released in 2006 for 2 players, 20–60 minutes per game, and ages 5 and up. It was designed by Mark Steere and its main mechanics are Tile Placement, Square Grid, and Pattern Recognition.
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About the game
Cephalopod is a two-player game which employs a 5x5 board, 24 dice of one color, and 24 dice of another color. The board starts out vacant. Players take turns adding dice of their own color to the board, one die per turn. A newly placed die must show a one, unless it’s a capturing placement, in which case it must show a two or higher. Each player will always have a placement available and must make one. Players cannot pass on their turn. Once the board has been completely filled, the player whose dice occupy the majority of the squares wins. Draws and ties cannot occur in Cephalopod. Capturing placement If a die is placed horizontally or vertically adjacent (hereafter “adjacent”) to two dice, and the sum of the pip counts (number of spots on the top surface of a die) on those two adjacent dice is six or less, then the currently played die must show the pip sum of its two adjacent dice, and the player must remove those two adjacent dice from the board immediately, while it is still his turn. Similarly, if a die is placed adjacent to three or four dice, and if two, three, or four of its adjacent dice have a pip sum of six or less, then two, three, or four of those adjacent dice (whose pip sum is six or less) must be removed, and the played die must show the pip sum of the removed dice. Captures are mandatory only when placing a die onto a square from which captures are possible. Non-capturing placement A player can make a non-capturing placement simply by adding a die to a square from which no captures are possible. A non-capturing placement must show a single pip. Players always begin their turn by adding a die. Only dice which are adjacent to the currently added die, and whose pip sum equals the pip count of the currently added die may be removed during the current turn.
Designers
Publishers
- (Self-Published)
- (Web published)
- GAMES Magazine
- Mark Steere Games
Questions and answers
Cephalopod 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 Cephalopod is 20–60 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 Cephalopod 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.
Cephalopod has a complexity rating of 2.5 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.
Cephalopod belongs to these categories: Territory Building, Number, and Print & Play. Its main mechanics are Tile Placement, Square Grid, and Pattern Recognition. 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 Cephalopod are: Mark Steere. 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 Cephalopod 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.