
- BGG rank
- BGG #12,059
- BGG rating
- 6.6
Barnyard Roundup
- 2–6 players
- 10–20 min
- Complexity 1.3/5
- 2016

2010
Rules assistance for Eleminis
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 2 players

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Eleminis is a board game released in 2010 for 2–8 players, 15 minutes per game, and ages 7 and up. It was designed by Michael Laird, Matthew Laird, and Joshua Laird and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Take That, and Set Collection.
Your goal in Eleminis is to collect one of each of these five eleminis in your row on the table. Players each have five slots available to them, and each slot can hold one card. On a turn, you draw a card from the deck then either play it in a row (if it's a character card) or use it (if it's an action). Each element outranks two other elements, similar to rock/paper/scissors/Spock/lizard. You can play an element card you draw in any empty space or replace a weaker element with the new one; you can play in your row or an opponent's. A star element is wild and can represent any element you need; a trash card can replace any element and can be displaced only by a star or an action card. The actions let you discard cards in play, move cards, swap them, and recycle (discard a card and draw a new card). Play continues until someone collects one element of each type in his row. A scoring system is included for those who want to play multiple games.
Eleminis supports 2–8 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 Eleminis is 15 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 Eleminis for ages 7 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.
Eleminis has a complexity rating of 1.1 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.
Eleminis belongs to these categories: Card Game, Children's Game, and Party Game. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Take That, and Set Collection. 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 Eleminis are: Michael Laird, Matthew Laird, and Joshua Laird. 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 Eleminis 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.