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- 6.0
Black Hat
- 2–6 players
- 30–45 min
- Complexity 2.4/5
- 2015
- BGG rank
- BGG #20,462
- BGG rating
- 5.9
Darwinning!
2018
Rules assistance for Darwinning!
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–6 players
- 45–75 min
- 9+
- Complexity 2.3/5
Rules assistant for Darwinning!
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Darwinning! is a board game released in 2018 for 2–6 players, 45–75 minutes per game, and ages 9 and up. It was designed by Ren Multamäki, Nikolas Lundström Patrakka, Tiinaliisa Multamäki, and Väinö Multamäki and its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Set Collection, and Modular Board.
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About the game
A novel trick-taking game for 2-6 players Darwinning! challenges serious gamers, but also charms children and plays especially well as a family game. In Darwinning!, species are evolved by building your tableau. See if you can evolve your species through the four eras the best. Darwinning! has been played with children from 8 year old and up. One needs to be able to recognize numbers up to 15 and remember a few symbols, or alternatively the 15 card effects. The game components do not have written text. Players can build their animal's tableau with unique traits, grow their population, move up on on the food chain or adapt to different environments by winning tricks. The game is played over three eras (rounds). After the third era, the most successful species wins.
Publishers
- Dragon Dawn Productions
Questions and answers
Darwinning! 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 Darwinning! is 45–75 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 Darwinning! for ages 9 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.
Darwinning! has a complexity rating of 2.3 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.
Darwinning! belongs to these categories: Card Game and Animals. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Set Collection, and Modular Board. 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 Darwinning! are: Ren Multamäki, Nikolas Lundström Patrakka, Tiinaliisa Multamäki, and Väinö Multamäki. 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 Darwinning! 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.