
- BGG rank
- BGG #14,378
- BGG rating
- 6.1
WordARound
- 2–6 players
- 30 min
- Complexity 1.0/5
- 2012

2014
Rules assistance for Clever
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.
Clever is a board game released in 2014 for 2–9 players, 15 minutes per game, and ages 6 and up. It was designed by Jason Santa Maria and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Spelling, and Pattern Recognition.
CLEVER is an educational card game that allows players to explore numerous connections to be made between cards representing objects and images with colors, categories, letters & numbers. Out of the box, CLEVER is playable as a 2-5 person rummy-style game. The object is to get rid of all your cards by playing them in sets of three or more related cards. Cards are related by being sequential in order, spelling a word, matching color, matching category, or being used in a math equation. It's worth noting that CLEVER is a deck of cards that can be used to create and play different games of players choosing. While the instructions that come with the game offer the rummy-style game mentioned above, trick-taking games, memory games and entirely new games utilizing the multidimensional aspects of the cards are certainly possible with the CLEVER deck.
Clever supports 2–9 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 Clever 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 Clever for ages 6 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.
Clever has a complexity rating of 1.0 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.
Clever belongs to these categories: Card Game, Children's Game, and Abstract Strategy. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Spelling, 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 Clever are: Jason Santa Maria. 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 Clever 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.