
- BGG rank
- BGG #38
- BGG rating
- 8.0
Wingspan
- 1–5 players
- 40–70 min
- Complexity 2.5/5
- 2019
- Ask about the rules

Rules assistance for Habitat
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.
Habitat is a board game released in 2008 for 2–6 players, 15–30 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by Elliot Hogg and its main mechanics are Hand Management and Set Collection.
In Habitat, your goal is to attract the most complex and diverse animal life to your portion of the great North Woods. The most vibrant ecosystems are those that have organisms from all levels of life, from the producers up to the dominant predators. Therefore, to win a game of Habitat, a player must create a complete collection of cards ranked 1-8. Cards are stacked in order of rank, from lowest to highest, to form Food Chains. There may be multiple Food Chains and duplicate ranks, but only one card from each rank is needed to win. By contrast, an unsupported chain of cards carries the risk that creatures become hungry, or even begin to starve! When a player has collected the necessary cards and all animals are fed, that player declares a "Habitat" and wins the game.
Habitat supports 2–6 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 Habitat is 15–30 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 Habitat for ages 8 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.
Habitat has a complexity rating of 1.9 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.
Habitat belongs to these categories: Card Game, Animals, and Educational. Its main mechanics are Hand Management and Set Collection. 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 Habitat are: Elliot Hogg. 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 Habitat 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.