- BGG rank
- BGG #529
- BGG rating
- 7.2
Through the Desert
- 2–5 players
- 45 min
- Complexity 2.2/5
- 1998
- BGG rank
- BGG #6,569
- BGG rating
- 7.2
Gingham
2025
Rules assistance for Gingham
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–4 players
- 20–40 min
- 12+
- Complexity 2.3/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Gingham
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Gingham is a board game released in 2025 for 2–4 players, 20–40 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Robert Hovakimyan and its main mechanics are Variable Set-up, Enclosure, and Connections.
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About the game
The race is on! Ants have found an abandoned picnic blanket ripe with sweets, but there aren't enough for every colony... Gingham is a tricky game of confection connection. In this game, players position their queens around the gingham picnic blanket and deploy their ants to connect sweets and claim the stockpiles they create. The lead player determines which edge of the playing area all players must play on each round. Everyone then places their queen next to a row on this edge, then deploys an ant into the row where they place their queen. The catch is that you cannot deploy your ant beyond the stitch in the blanket, and the rows closer to the star at the end of the row offer fewer options. That said, whoever places their queen closest to the star becomes the leader of the next round and places their queen next to a row on any other edge of the playing area; players take turns in order of the queens in the previous row. Do you opt for a better turn order position for next round or more flexibility for ant placement this round? By connecting matching sweet tokens with a line of your ants and by surrounding and claiming stockpiles, players score points. Sweet tokens are stacked atop one another after connecting, with sugar cubes being left behind; place next to a sugar cube to claim it as they can be spent on powerful abilities. Stretch your ants across the blanket, and grab the biggest piles of sweets to prove your pint-sized royalty! Gingham is the second title in Bitewing Games' Travel Line. This line of games is focused on being supremely easy to play with anyone, anywhere. —description from the publisher
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- Bitewing Games
Questions and answers
Gingham 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 Gingham is 20–40 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 Gingham 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.
Gingham 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.
Gingham belongs to these categories: Animals and Abstract Strategy. Its main mechanics are Variable Set-up, Enclosure, and Connections. 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 Gingham are: Robert Hovakimyan. 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 Gingham 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.