- BGG rank
- BGG #6,320
- BGG rating
- 6.8
Saltlands
- 1–6 players
- 90–120 min
- Complexity 2.8/5
- 2016
- BGG rank
- BGG #15,803
- BGG rating
- 6.3
Critters Below
2017
Rules assistance for Critters Below
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 1–6 players
- 30–60 min
- 14+
- Complexity 2.2/5
For 1 player
Rules assistant for Critters Below
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Critters Below is a board game released in 2017 for 1–6 players, 30–60 minutes per game, and ages 14 and up. It was designed by Gergely Kruppa and its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Player Elimination, and Memory.
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About the game
Description from the publisher: A great war has broken out and is threatening to eradicate all of Critterkind. A few of you have made it to a shelter deep underground. However the lights have gone out, leaving you in the dark with limited resources. You do not know how long you have to stay down here before it is safe to go outside. How many of you will survive and will you be among them? Will you work together? At the end of each turn players vote whether to open the bunker doors. If they do and it is peaceful outside they win the game. Otherwise they get hurt and must continue the game. Every surviving critter wins the game. It may or may not be in your interest to work together, you do not need the other critters to survive in order to win. All Item Cards are kept face down. During your turn you take one to three actions. If you turn a card face up as part of an action you must use it regardless of its effects. There is also a limited supply of light sources you can look at some cards. You may share this information or you may even try to trick the others. Handy label cards help keep the memory aspect to a bare minimum, but still allow for backstabbing or cooperation. You gain a starvation condition for almost every action and can also gain other conditions during gameplay. At the end of your turn must draw and apply a random card from your hand of conditions. This card is applied as damage if it is a bad condition. So if you do not discard starvation conditions by eating you will starve.
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- Antler Games
Questions and answers
Critters Below supports 1–6 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 Critters Below is 30–60 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 Critters Below 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.
Critters Below has a complexity rating of 2.2 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.
Critters Below belongs to these categories: Card Game, Animals, and Party Game. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Player Elimination, and Memory. 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 Critters Below are: Gergely Kruppa. 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 Critters Below 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.