- BGG rank
- BGG #275
- BGG rating
- 7.6
My City
- 2–4 players
- 30 min
- Complexity 2.0/5
- 2020
- BGG rank
- BGG #22,630
- BGG rating
- 6.4
FantaSticks
2015
Rules assistance for FantaSticks
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–6 players
- 20 min
- 8+
- Complexity 1.0/5
Rules assistant for FantaSticks
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
FantaSticks is a board game released in 2015 for 2–6 players, 20 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by Reiner Knizia and its main mechanics are Pattern Building.
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About the game
FantaSticks comes with 15 stunt sticks in each of six colors, a deck of cards with one of eight activities displayed on each card, 16 tokens numbered one through 16, and, for each player (or team), a 4X4 board with spaces numbered one through 16. At the beginning of each round, a token is flipped face-up, a card is drawn, and all players (or teams) then try to complete the activity shown on the card. Successful players place a marker on the space on their boards that corresponds to the number on the token. The first player to place four in a row wins. Activities involve the sticks in some way, usually by building structures that don't fall or that are produced from memory or instruction or that others try to guess. A few activities use the sticks differently, e.g., to indicate answers to trivia questions or to prompt Liar's Dice-style guessing.
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Mandoo Games
- SimplyFun
Questions and answers
FantaSticks 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 FantaSticks is 20 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 FantaSticks 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.
FantaSticks has a complexity rating of 1.0 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.
FantaSticks belongs to these categories: Action / Dexterity and Trivia. Its main mechanics are 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 FantaSticks are: Reiner Knizia. 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 FantaSticks 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.