- BGG rating
- 9.0
Diatoms: Kickstarter Backer Booster Pack
- 1–4 players
- 10–45 min
- 2024
- BGG rank
- BGG #4,918
- BGG rating
- 7.6
Diatoms
2025
Rules assistance for Diatoms
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 1–4 players
- 30–45 min
- 8+
- Complexity 1.8/5
For 1 player
Rules assistant for Diatoms
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Diatoms is a board game released in 2025 for 1–4 players, 30–45 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by Sabrina Culyba and its main mechanics are Tile Placement and Pattern Building.
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About the game
Diatoms is a puzzly tile-placement and pattern-making game in which players create their own microscopic mosaic, based on an obscure Victorian art form. Hidden in the water all around us are tiny lifeforms known as "diatoms". These microscopic algae cells come in a variety of exquisite geometric shapes and patterns. Their outer layer is made with silica, giving them a glass-like quality. Here at the Society for the Microscopic Arts, we collect these diatoms and delicately arrange them on slides into beautiful, tiny mosaics. As part of your induction into the Society, you will each create your own entry for today's Exhibition of Microscopic Mosaics. In Diatoms, you compete with your fellow players to collect and place diatom shapes into a mosaic form. You take turns placing tiles representing algae colonies. From that placement, you earn diatoms of different colors and shapes. You then strategically place these diatoms on your personal board, taking care to consider how your arrangement will be scored at the end of the game. In the base scoring, you'll want to achieve matching colors, shape variety, and symmetry along your mosaic's central lines. Each time you play, you may also have a "guest" judge card that brings a unique scoring criterion to the game. Diatoms also includes a solo variant in which you collect diatom tiles as in the main game, while trying to create a mosaic that fulfills specific requirements from mosaic commission prompts. —description from publisher
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Popcorn Games
- 25th Century Games
- Ludoliminal
Questions and answers
Diatoms supports 1–4 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 Diatoms 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 Diatoms 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.
Diatoms has a complexity rating of 1.8 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.
Diatoms belongs to these categories: Abstract Strategy and Puzzle. Its main mechanics are Tile Placement and Pattern Building. 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 Diatoms are: Sabrina Culyba. 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 Diatoms 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.