
- BGG rank
- BGG #5,202
- BGG rating
- 6.9
Fleet Wharfside
- 2–4 players
- 20–30 min
- Complexity 1.7/5
- 2015

Rules assistance for Fleet: Crab Meeples
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.
Fleet: Crab Meeples is an expansion for Fleet released in 2014 for 1–6 players, 30 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Ben Pinchback and Matt Riddle and its main mechanics are Hand Management and Auction / Bidding.
Part of Fleet: Arctic Bounty Kickstarter campaign. They will be available by other outlets Quantity: 5 Bay Card: During setup, place all five Crab Meeples near the center of the play area. A Crab Meeple is caught by the first full boat of each different Standard license in the game. If more than one player completes the criteria in the same phase and round, tie is broken by first in turn order. When a boat reaches capacity and is the first of its type to do so, that player immediately receives a Crab Meeple and places it on the license matching that boat. The Crab Meeple cannot be lost. All Crab Meeples held at Game End are worth 4 VP
Fleet: Crab Meeples supports 1–6 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 Fleet: Crab Meeples is 30 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 Fleet: Crab Meeples for ages 10 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.
Fleet: Crab Meeples has a complexity rating of 2.7 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.
Fleet: Crab Meeples belongs to these categories: Card Game, Animals, and Nautical. Its main mechanics are Hand Management and Auction / Bidding. 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 Fleet: Crab Meeples are: Ben Pinchback and Matt Riddle. 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 Fleet: Crab Meeples as an expansion for Fleet. Expansions add new content, rules or scenarios to the base game and usually cannot be played on their own, so you need Fleet to use it. Check that your edition of Fleet is compatible, as some expansions were revised between editions.