- BGG rank
- BGG #15,174
- BGG rating
- 7.5
Squirrels: The Card Game
- 2–8 players
- 15–45 min
- Complexity 1.5/5
- 2024
- BGG rank
- BGG #14,175
- BGG rating
- 6.6
Clear 4
2025
Rules assistance for Clear 4
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–6 players
- 15 min
- 8+
- Complexity 1.3/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Clear 4
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Clear 4 is a board game released in 2025 for 2–6 players, 15 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by Joe Ward and Christine Ward and its main mechanics are Hand Management.
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About the game
Clear 4 challenges you to ditch your twenty cards more quickly than anyone else. To set up, each player gets twenty random cards from a deck that contains ten copies each of 1-10, as well as a few JOKER, PUSH, and CLEAR cards. Without looking at these cards, each player creates four piles of a horizontal card, a vertical card, then a face-up card, with the remaining eight cards (along with their face-up cards) forming their hand. On a turn, you play number cards, play a special card (PUSH or CLEAR), or pass. To play number cards, you choose one or more number cards of the same value in your hand and place them on the discard pile — but only if the number is not greater than the top card on the discard pile. If you play a face-up card from the table, you reveal the vertical card underneath — and you can play that immediately if it's the same value! Played cards in the discard pile are fanned out, and as soon as four cards of the same value are visible, the discard pile is removed from play, then the active player takes another turn. A JOKER is any value and played alone or with other number cards. To play CLEAR, remove that card — and the discard pile —from play, then take another turn. To play PUSH, remove that card from play, then push the discard pile in front of another player, who must add all cards in it to their hand; your turn then ends. To pass, add the discard pile to your hand. Each horizontal card is not revealed until you try to play it on a turn. Flip it onto the discard pile. If it's a PUSH or CLEAR, carry it out like normal; if it's a number that can be played, great! If not — you guessed it — add the discard pile to your hand.
Questions and answers
Clear 4 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 Clear 4 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 Clear 4 for ages 8 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.
Clear 4 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.
Clear 4 belongs to these categories: Card Game. Its main mechanics are Hand Management. 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 Clear 4 are: Joe Ward and Christine Ward. 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 Clear 4 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.