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Hamsters vs. Hippos
2021
Rules assistance for Hamsters vs. Hippos
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 1–6 players
- 15–40 min
- 8+
- Complexity 1.0/5
Rules assistant for Hamsters vs. Hippos
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Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Hamsters vs. Hippos is a board game released in 2021 for 1–6 players, 15–40 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by James Staley, Adam Staley, and James Freeman and its main mechanics are Push Your Luck.
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About the game
The hamsters have escaped their enclosure at the zoo and are making a run for it! Suddenly they come across a pond and see their most prized possession, the lily flower! Unfortunately, lurking below the surface is a hippo waiting for his favorite snack. The hamsters have to take a risk and gather as many flowers as they can before all of the hippo's friends arrive to join in on the feast! The game lasts 4 rounds with each player representing a little hamster. The player with the most flowers at the end of 4 rounds wins. Each round ends when hamster is eaten. Each round, add another hippo card to the deck before shuffling and dealing the cards out. Since extra cards are placed to the side, the extra hippos may or may not be on the board. The game goes 4 rounds, with the winner being the player with the most flowers collected during the game. If there is a tie after the 4th round, keep adding rounds (with the 4 hippo cards) until a winner is declared. Playing a round: A round ends as soon as a hippo card is flipped. Any hamsters that are still on grid when this card is flipped, lose all the flowers that they collected that round. Shuffle the cards adding a hippo, then deal out the next pond to start the next round. Taking turns, each player ventures out onto a lily pad, starting by moving onto any card along the edge of the grid. Each turn, they must either move, or spend 2 flowers to peak under an un-flipped card. If they move, they must move onto an adjacent card (including diagonals). When landing on that card, they can collect any flower that is on top of it, and then must flip the card and perform the action (if any) underneath. If there are flowers underneath, they collect those too from the flower pile. Once a card has been flipped, a player can no longer step back on to it. Player can take up to 2 moves per turn, no including forced moves made from flipped cards. Players can move off the board (from any lily pad on the edge) to safety during their turn. If they do so, they are out for the remainder of that round, but keep anything they collected in their permanent storage Players can keep going until a hippo card is flipped, or until the last player has moved out of the pond —description from the publisher
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- Tin Robot Games
Questions and answers
Hamsters vs. Hippos 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 Hamsters vs. Hippos is 15–40 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 Hamsters vs. Hippos 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.
Hamsters vs. Hippos has a complexity rating of 1.0 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.
Hamsters vs. Hippos belongs to these categories: Animals. Its main mechanics are Push Your Luck. 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 Hamsters vs. Hippos are: James Staley, Adam Staley, and James Freeman. 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 Hamsters vs. Hippos 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.