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True Messiah
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Feast & Famine
2010
Rules assistance for Feast & Famine
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–4 players
- 45 min
- 8+
- Complexity 2.3/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Feast & Famine
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Feast & Famine is a board game released in 2010 for 2–4 players, 45 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by Jason Conforto and its main mechanics are Auction / Bidding and Tile Placement.
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About the game
Publisher description from the back of the box: Famine is coming to Egypt! It will take strategy and luck to gather enough supplies to save the House of Israel. Joseph, son of Jacob, advised the Pharaoh to store a surplus during the seven years of abundance in order to survive the seven years of famine that were ahead. Will you acquire all the supplies you need before the famine begins? Feast Side One: Players have seven rounds to gather food during Egypt’s seven years of plenty. Players exchange labor points for food tiles (oil, water, wheat, corn, fish, and cattle) in order to obtain Pharaoh Medallions. The player who earns the most Medallions wins! Or players can keep Medallions and continue with Side Two. Famine Side Two: Players use their Pharaoh Medallions to rescue the House of Israel from the famine. Joseph’s family members are worth different point values determined by birth order. Using their Medallions, players bid against each other in order to find and save Joseph’s family. The player who obtains the most points survives the famine and wins the game.
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Shadow Mountain Publishing
Questions and answers
Feast & Famine supports 2–4 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 Feast & Famine is 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 Feast & Famine 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.
Feast & Famine 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.
Feast & Famine belongs to these categories: Ancient and Religious. Its main mechanics are Auction / Bidding and Tile Placement. 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 Feast & Famine are: Jason Conforto. 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 Feast & Famine 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.