- BGG rank
- BGG #30,774
- BGG rating
- 4.7
Mystery Date
- 2–4 players
- 30 min
- Complexity 1.2/5
- 1965
- BGG rank
- BGG #29,096
- BGG rating
- 5.0
Happiness
1972
Rules assistance for Happiness
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–6 players
- 60 min
- 6+
- Complexity 1.0/5
Rules assistant for Happiness
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Happiness is a board game released in 1972 for 2–6 players, 60 minutes per game, and ages 6 and up. It was designed by Marvin Glass and its main mechanics are Set Collection and Roll / Spin and Move.
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About the game
The board is made up of various paths, and each one earns you a specific Key if/when you finish it. These Keys get placed in your Ladder of Success (in any order), and if you're the first player to fill your ladder, you win. So thematically, it's neat, but what I most remember about it are the various "no dice" movement systems. All players start with their pieces "clicked in" to a spinner in the middle of the board, which, when spun, randomly puts each player in front of one of the six paths. On your turn, you can get off and attempt that path, or spin again, possibly rearranging you - and everyone else. Each path has its own movement system. A few of them are flip-a-tiles, with each tile set having movement from 1-5 on them. Health has a bicycle theme, with one wheel being the tiles and the other wheel being the discard pile. Self Improvement tiles were books in a bookcase. The Love path has an arrow-through-a-heart spinner, with the arrow pointing to your movement, 1-4. Two other paths also have themed spinners. But the coolest of them was the Friendship path. The Hand of Friendship is a seesaw hand with a little marble in the "wrist" and when you seesaw it, the marble "pachinko's" into one of the five fingers, each having a different movement number 1-5. When you finish a path - and they have text on some of the squares ("start over" "get a hang-up" "move forward" etc.) - you click back in to the spinner and hope you land on the next path you need.
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Milton Bradley
Questions and answers
Happiness 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 Happiness is 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 Happiness 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.
Happiness 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.
Happiness belongs to these categories: Children's Game. Its main mechanics are Set Collection and Roll / Spin and Move. 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 Happiness are: Marvin Glass. 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 Happiness 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.