- BGG rank
- BGG #22,540
- BGG rating
- 5.8
Pan T'es Mort
- 2–6 players
- 10–15 min
- Complexity 1.0/5
- 2023
- BGG rank
- BGG #30,310
- BGG rating
- 4.7
Clown Standoff
2016
Rules assistance for Clown Standoff
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–6 players
- 10 min
- 8+
- Complexity 1.0/5
Rules assistant for Clown Standoff
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Clown Standoff is a board game released in 2016 for 2–6 players, 10 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by Ludovic Barbe and its main mechanics are Push Your Luck, Player Elimination, and Trick-taking.
Similar games
- BGG rank
- BGG #10,558
- BGG rating
- 6.1
Dragon Run
- 2–5 players
- 15 min
- Complexity 1.4/5
- 2014
- BGG rank
- BGG #6,967
- BGG rating
- 6.0
Five Cucumbers
- 2–6 players
- 25 min
- Complexity 1.3/5
- 2013
- BGG rank
- BGG #17,102
- BGG rating
- 6.6
The World Game
- 2–5 players
- 20–60 min
- Complexity 1.5/5
- 2018
- BGG rank
- BGG #22,782
- BGG rating
- 6.8
Tome: The Light Edition
- 2–4 players
- 20–45 min
- Complexity 2.0/5
- 2022
- BGG rank
- BGG #29,414
- BGG rating
- 5.2
Knock Out Whist
- 2–7 players
- 15 min
- Complexity 1.4/5
- 1800
- BGG rank
- BGG #29,774
- BGG rating
- 4.3
Great Shakespearean Deaths: Card Game
- 2–5 players
- 20–30 min
- 2016
- BGG rank
- BGG #31,325
- BGG rating
- 5.2
The Hobbit Card Game
- 2–5 players
- 30 min
- Complexity 1.4/5
- 2012
- BGG rank
- BGG #22,645
- BGG rating
- 5.9
Book of Dragons
- 1–8 players
- 15–60 min
- Complexity 1.3/5
- 2018
- BGG rank
- BGG #23,008
- BGG rating
- 6.6
Cat Trick
- 3–5 players
- 15 min
- Complexity 1.5/5
- 2026
- BGG rank
- BGG #3,665
- BGG rating
- 7.3
Torchlit
- 2–5 players
- 30–45 min
- Complexity 2.1/5
- 2024
- BGG rank
- BGG #6,040
- BGG rating
- 6.8
St Patrick
- 3–4 players
- 20–40 min
- Complexity 1.3/5
- 2021
About the game
The circus show went really, really bad, and now the clowns are blaming each other...by throwing pies! And the clowns' code dictates that whoever remains clean the longest wins the argument. Clown Standoff is separated into two phases. Phase one is a trick-taking phase with simultaneous card selection. Each player has cards 1-6, and four times players each lay down one card; tied cards are eliminated, then the highest card wins. The one exception to this: If a 1 and a 6 have both been played, then the 1 card wins the trick. All winners keep the cards they used to win the tricks, then they move to phase 2. In Phase 2, six "Pie Throw" cards are in the middle of the table: five "Dodge" cards and one "Hit" card. Starting with whoever has the most cards from phase one, players then take turns as follows: They can draw a card; or they can discard one card from the ones they collected in phase one to shuffle all face-up Pie Throw cards, then draw one; or they can discard cards equal to the number of players who are still in the game to pass their turn to the next player. If a player draws a Dodge card, nothing happens and the remaining cards move to the next player. If a player draws a Hit card, that player is out of the game; after this, all Pie Throw cards are again shuffled to form a deck, and the player with the most cards from phase one starts a new turn. The last clown standing wins!
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- Artipia Games
Questions and answers
Clown Standoff 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 Clown Standoff is 10 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 Clown Standoff 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.
Clown Standoff 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.
Clown Standoff belongs to these categories: Card Game. Its main mechanics are Push Your Luck, Player Elimination, and Trick-taking. 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 Clown Standoff are: Ludovic Barbe. 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 Clown Standoff 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.