- BGG rating
- 8.0
Citizens of the Spark: Rise & Fall Mini-Campaign
- 2–5 players
- 45–60 min
- 2025
- BGG rank
- BGG #3,279
- BGG rating
- 7.4
Citizens of the Spark
2025
Rules assistance for Citizens of the Spark
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 1–5 players
- 45–60 min
- 14+
- Complexity 2.3/5
For 1 player
Rules assistant for Citizens of the Spark
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Citizens of the Spark is a board game released in 2025 for 1–5 players, 45–60 minutes per game, and ages 14 and up. It was designed by Philip duBarry and its main mechanics are Set Collection, Variable Set-up, and Layering.
Expansions
- BGG rating
- 7.7
Citizens of the Spark: Transmission Pack
- 1–5 players
- 2025
About the game
The fate of creatures touched by the spark of intelligence hangs in the balance. You must recruit strong animal allies to your city and unlock the potential of your citizens if your settlement is to survive the days to come. Citizens of the Spark is a variable set-up card game in which players take turns attracting citizens, taking actions, and claiming sparks. The more citizen cards a player has of a specific type, the more powerful that citizen's action becomes. The player with the most sparks in their city when the deck runs out wins! Play with 7-10 animal citizen types per game, chosen from 30 available creatures and combined into one shared deck. Every citizen type has distinct powers, making each game's action combos uniquely variable. On your turn, recruit multiple citizens by selecting an available group of cards, placing them in your city tableau, and grouping like citizens together to grow their action strength. Next, select one type of citizen in your tableau to activate, taking the effect of the card and discarding it from your city. But keep watch on rival cities, because when you activate a citizen, all players can follow your move and activate a matching citizen of their own!
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Rexhry
- Thunderworks Games
Questions and answers
Citizens of the Spark supports 1–5 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 Citizens of the Spark is 45–60 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 Citizens of the Spark for ages 14 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.
Citizens of the Spark has a complexity rating of 2.3 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.
Citizens of the Spark belongs to these categories: Card Game, Animals, and Science Fiction. Its main mechanics are Set Collection, Variable Set-up, and Layering. 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 Citizens of the Spark are: Philip duBarry. 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 Citizens of the Spark 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.