
- BGG rating
- 6.5
Hens: Italian Breeds
- 1–4 players
- 20–30 min
- 2025

2023
Rules assistance for Hens
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 1 player

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Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Hens is a board game released in 2023 for 1–4 players, 15–20 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Giampaolo Razzino and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Set Collection, and Variable Set-up.
A puzzly abstract card game of hen breeding. In Hens you are a hen breeder! Each round you will play a hen card from your hand, trying to create a harmonious barnyard with different hen breeds. The rules to place cards are few and simple, but the difficulty lies in making large groups of hens of the same breed. At the end of the game you will gain points from your largest group of hens of the same breed in your barnyard, from your rooster token and from the goal card. Don’t forget some rare hens give you medals worth points at the end of the game. The hen breeder with the best barnyard wins! —description from the publisher
Hens supports 1–4 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 Hens is 15–20 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 Hens for ages 10 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.
Hens has a complexity rating of 1.8 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.
Hens belongs to these categories: Card Game, Animals, and Abstract Strategy. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Set Collection, and Variable Set-up. 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 Hens are: Giampaolo Razzino. 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 Hens 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.