- BGG rank
- BGG #29,981
- BGG rating
- 4.5
Redstone
- 2 players
- 20–60 min
- 2012
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- BGG #31,135
- BGG rating
- 3.3
Herd
2022
Rules assistance for Herd
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 1.0/5
Rules assistant for Herd
For 2 players
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Herd is a board game released in 2022 for 2 players, 20–60 minutes per game, and ages 5 and up. It was designed by Mark Steere and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Tile Placement, and Hexagon Grid.
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About the game
Herd is a two player game played with two standard, six sided dice and unlimited red and blue stones on a hexagonal grid of any size, initially empty. The two players, Red and Blue, take turns placing their own stones on the board, one or more stones per turn. Red goes first. Players are not allowed to pass. On your turn: Roll the dice. Remove enemy stones in the quantity indicated by the lower die value. Place your stones on any unoccupied cells (except where prohibited as described below) in the quantity indicated by the higher die value. If you completely surround an enemy singleton (enemy group of size 1) - that is, every one of its adjacent cells is occupied by one of your stones - you must immediately remove it. For each enemy stone you surround and capture, you must add an additional stone of your color, which could then capture more enemy stones and require you to add yet more of your stones during your turn. Prohibited placement: You may not place a stone on a cell completely surrounded by enemy stones - that is, a cell whose every adjacent cell is occupied by an enemy stone. If at any time during your turn, the only unoccupied cells are such self-capturing placements, your turn is concluded. As a balancing rule, Red, on his first turn, places the number of stones indicated by the LOWER die value. The game ends when the board is completely filled. Who has the most stones on the board wins.
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- Mark Steere Games
Questions and answers
Herd 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 Herd 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 Herd 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.
Herd 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.
Herd belongs to these categories: Territory Building, Dice, and Abstract Strategy. Its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Tile Placement, 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 Herd 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 Herd 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.