- BGG rank
- BGG #2,096
- BGG rating
- 6.7
Circus Flohcati
- 2–5 players
- 15 min
- Complexity 1.2/5
- 1998
- BGG rank
- BGG #3,948
- BGG rating
- 6.6
Cheeky Monkey
2007
Rules assistance for Cheeky Monkey
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–6 players
- 15 min
- 7+
- Complexity 1.1/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Cheeky Monkey
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Cheeky Monkey is a board game released in 2007 for 2–6 players, 15 minutes per game, and ages 7 and up. It was designed by Reiner Knizia and its main mechanics are Set Collection and Push Your Luck.
Similar games
- BGG rank
- BGG #5,451
- BGG rating
- 6.8
Hot Lead
- 2–5 players
- 15 min
- Complexity 1.3/5
- 2022
- BGG rank
- BGG #112
- BGG rating
- 7.7
Ra
- 2–5 players
- 45–60 min
- Complexity 2.3/5
- 1999
- BGG rank
- BGG #349
- BGG rating
- 7.3
Lost Cities
- 2 players
- 30 min
- Complexity 1.5/5
- 1999
- BGG rank
- BGG #731
- BGG rating
- 7.2
Medici
- 2–6 players
- 60 min
- Complexity 2.2/5
- 1995
- BGG rank
- BGG #2,246
- BGG rating
- 6.4
Age of War
- 2–6 players
- 15–30 min
- Complexity 1.2/5
- 2006
- BGG rank
- BGG #2,479
- BGG rating
- 6.9
Ratzia
- 2–5 players
- 45 min
- Complexity 2.0/5
- 2004
- BGG rank
- BGG #3,048
- BGG rating
- 6.5
Sushizock im Gockelwok
- 2–5 players
- 20 min
- Complexity 1.2/5
- 2008
- BGG rank
- BGG #3,365
- BGG rating
- 6.8
Priests of Ra
- 2–5 players
- 60 min
- Complexity 2.2/5
- 2009
- BGG rank
- BGG #3,556
- BGG rating
- 6.7
Medici: The Card Game
- 2–6 players
- 30 min
- Complexity 1.6/5
- 2016
- BGG rank
- BGG #3,929
- BGG rating
- 7.3
SILOS
- 2–4 players
- 45–60 min
- Complexity 2.1/5
- 2025
- BGG rank
- BGG #4,227
- BGG rating
- 6.5
Keltis: Der Weg der Steine Mitbringspiel
- 2–4 players
- 15 min
- Complexity 1.2/5
- 2009
About the game
The push-your-luck game Cheeky Monkey includes eight sets of animals – three elephants, four seals, and so on up to ten monkeys – with a plastic chip representing each animal. To start the game, you place all the chips in a bag. On a turn, a player may draw chips until either (1) he chooses to stop or (2) he draws an animal that he has lying in front of him from a previous draw this turn. In this latter case, he returns all chips in front of him from the current turn to the bag, and the next player then takes his turn. In the former case, he stacks the chips in whatever order he wants on top of any chips he's collected in previous turns. (If a player has animals of only a single type, he can tuck them on the bottom of his stack.) Two special rules come into play while the player draws chips: If a player draws an animal chip that matches the animal on top of an opponent's stack, the player can steal this animal, adding it to the chips currently in front of him. (If he busts for drawing a duplicate animal, this stolen chip is also returned to the bag.) If a player draws a monkey, he can either keep the monkey (as with any other animal) or he can swap the monkey for the chip on top of an opponent's stack. When the last chip has been added to a stack, the game ends. Any player who has more chips of an animal type than any other player receives bonus points equal to the total number of that animal in the game. The player with the most points wins.
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Arclight Games
- Piatnik
- AURUM, Inc.
- Eagle-Gryphon Games
- Face2Face Games
- Jumping Turtle Games
Questions and answers
Cheeky Monkey supports 2–6 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 Cheeky Monkey 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 Cheeky Monkey 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.
Cheeky Monkey 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.
Cheeky Monkey belongs to these categories: Animals and Children's Game. Its main mechanics are Set Collection and Push Your Luck. 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 Cheeky Monkey are: Reiner Knizia. 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 Cheeky Monkey 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.