- BGG rank
- BGG #14,893
- BGG rating
- 7.8
Sleepers
- 2 players
- 30 min
- Complexity 3.0/5
- 2012
- BGG rank
- BGG #16,823
- BGG rating
- 7.4
Four
2012
Rules assistance for Four
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2 players
- 15 min
- 6+
- Complexity 1.5/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Four
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Four is a board game released in 2012 for 2 players, 15 minutes per game, and ages 6 and up. It was designed by Stephen Tavener and its main mechanics are Tile Placement.
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About the game
A game inspired by the Four Colour Theorem in which four shapes in four colours are placed in a virtual grid according to four constraints. Players take turns putting pieces on the board, according to the following constraints: Connected: after the first piece, each piece you play must touch at least one other piece orthogonally. Different move: you may not play the same shape or colour that your opponent just played. Not adjacent: you may not place a piece adjacent to a piece of the same shape or colour. Virtual grid: you may not play so that the playing area exceeds 9 squares in any direction. The last player able to place a piece wins. The four shapes used are shown below. Each player receives 16 pieces, four of these in each of the four colors. A total of 32 tetromino pieces are needed. Four won (along with Veletas) the BoardGameGeek Best Combinatorial 2-player Game of 2013 award. BEST COMBINATORIAL 2-PLAYER GAME OF 2013 - RESULTS
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- (Self-Published)
- (Web published)
- nestorgames
- The Game Crafter, LLC
Questions and answers
Four supports 2 players according to the catalogue. This is the publisher’s listed player count, so the game is designed for exactly that number of participants. Variants for other group sizes, if any, are described in the rulebook of your edition, so check it before setting up a different configuration.
The listed playing time for Four 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 Four for ages 6 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.
Four has a complexity rating of 1.5 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.
Four belongs to these categories: Abstract Strategy. Its main mechanics are 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 Four are: Stephen Tavener. 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 Four 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.