
- BGG rank
- BGG #8,873
- BGG rating
- 7.1
SPQF
- 2–4 players
- 20–45 min
- Complexity 3.0/5
- 2018

2017
Rules assistance for Five Ravens
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Five Ravens is a board game released in 2017 for 2–4 players, 15–25 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Grant Rodiek and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Simultaneous Action Selection, and Deck, Bag, and Pool Building.
Five Ravens is a quick game that combines deck building and tableau building. Every player begins with the same nine cards, each of which belongs to a band of thieves. On your turn, you play one raven for its action or denote it as your thief. At the end of the round, players choose one relic using their chosen thieves to indicate selection order. Then, the raven is permanently removed from your deck, which grants a bonus (or penalty) that affects your choices. Players will see diverging strategies and lots of variability in such a small game with only five rounds. —description from the designer
Five Ravens 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 Five Ravens is 15–25 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 Five Ravens for ages 12 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.
Five Ravens has a complexity rating of 2.5 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.
Five Ravens belongs to these categories: Card Game, Animals, and Murder / Mystery. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Simultaneous Action Selection, and Deck, Bag, and Pool 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 Five Ravens are: Grant Rodiek. 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 Five Ravens 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.