- BGG rank
- BGG #686
- BGG rating
- 7.2
Elysium
- 2–4 players
- 60 min
- Complexity 2.8/5
- 2015
- BGG rank
- BGG #5,724
- BGG rating
- 6.2
Costa Rica
2016
Rules assistance for Costa Rica
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–5 players
- 30–45 min
- 8+
- Complexity 1.3/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Costa Rica
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Costa Rica is a board game released in 2016 for 2–5 players, 30–45 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by Matthew Dunstan and Brett J. Gilbert and its main mechanics are Set Collection, Push Your Luck, and Map Reduction.
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About the game
Different sets of exotic animals, different terrains, and the omnipresent danger of mosquitos await in the jungle of Costa Rica, and the player explorers are here to collect sets of rare and exotic animals to rescue them from poachers. Collecting as many as you can of one kind is valuable, but having one of each kind can be beneficial, too. Just avoid being bitten too badly by the mosquitos! In Costa Rica, all player take part in an expedition, with the active player of a turn deciding where to go and exploring a new tile. In clockwise order, each player must decide whether to leave this expedition and collect all of the animals seen so far, or whether to remain with the group to (hopefully) collect more animals later? Once a player does leave the current expedition, they remove their pawn from that group, collecting nothing else from it.
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- GoKids 玩樂小子
- Mayfair Games
- Albi
- SD Games
- Lacerta
- Lookout Games
Questions and answers
Costa Rica supports 2–5 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 Costa Rica is 30–45 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 Costa Rica 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.
Costa Rica 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.
Costa Rica belongs to these categories: Exploration. Its main mechanics are Set Collection, Push Your Luck, and Map Reduction. 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 Costa Rica are: Matthew Dunstan and Brett J. Gilbert. 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 Costa Rica 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.