- BGG rank
- BGG #29,768
- BGG rating
- 5.0
Fractal
- 2 players
- 20–60 min
- Complexity 2.0/5
- 2010
- BGG rank
- BGG #30,815
- BGG rating
- 4.2
Gopher
2021
Rules assistance for Gopher
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2 players
- 20–60 min
- 5+
- Complexity 1.5/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Gopher
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Gopher is a board game released in 2021 for 2 players, 20–60 minutes per game, and ages 5 and up. It was designed by Mark Steere and its main mechanics are Tile Placement, Paper-and-Pencil, and Hexagon Grid.
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About the game
Gopher is a two-player game played on an initially empty, size 6 (or 8...) hexagonal grid. The two players place their own stones on the board, one stone per turn. Players are not allowed to pass. All placements are to unoccupied cells. A friendly connection is an adjacency between the stones of the same color. An enemy connection is an adjacency between different colored stones. Player 1 begins the game by placing a stone anywhere on the board. Then, starting with Player 2, players take turns placing a stone which forms exactly one enemy connection and no friendly connections. The last player to place a stone wins. (Drew Edwards found a solution on size 5, 7, 9... boards. Red starts in the center or a corner, and whichever direction Blue branches out, Red continues the branch in the same direction.) —description from designer
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- Mark Steere Games
Questions and answers
Gopher 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 Gopher is 20–60 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 Gopher for ages 5 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.
Gopher 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.
Gopher belongs to these categories: Abstract Strategy. Its main mechanics are Tile Placement, Paper-and-Pencil, and Hexagon Grid. 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 Gopher are: Mark Steere. 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 Gopher 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.