- BGG rank
- BGG #8,694
- BGG rating
- 6.2
Dark Seas
- 2–4 players
- 45 min
- Complexity 2.0/5
- 2015
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- BGG rating
- 6.2
Hey Waiter!
2010
Rules assistance for Hey Waiter!
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–4 players
- 30 min
- 13+
- Complexity 1.4/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Hey Waiter!
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Hey Waiter! is a board game released in 2010 for 2–4 players, 30 minutes per game, and ages 13 and up. It was designed by Anthony Rubbo and its main mechanics are Hand Management and Team-Based Game.
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About the game
Hey Waiter! is the first published design from Tichu fan extraordinaire Anthony Rubbo, and while it's not a trick-taking game, it is a game with tricky card play. Each player is a waiter trying to deliver his stack of dishes before anyone else, with the dishes being represented by a stack of colored chips on a face-down card. Players each have a hand of cards, a few of which might be special action cards while the majority will be divided into two narrow rectangles. To play these cards, the player chooses two cards and uses the right half of one card and the left half of the other. Thus with a handful of cards, each half of a card can be combined in up to a half-dozen ways. The cards let you take actions like moving a token from one stack to another, with the primary action being to deliver food. When you deliver a dish, however, everyone with that type of dish on top of his stack gets to deliver it, so ideally you can first place a token on the opponent’s stack in order to lock down that dish. You can also split your stack into two or more stacks, thereby giving you more opportunities to deliver dishes – but doing so reduces your hand size and limits the chances that you'll be able to do what you want!
Questions and answers
Hey Waiter! supports 2–4 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 Hey Waiter! is 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 Hey Waiter! for ages 13 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.
Hey Waiter! has a complexity rating of 1.4 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.
Hey Waiter! belongs to these categories: Card Game. Its main mechanics are Hand Management and Team-Based Game. 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 Hey Waiter! are: Anthony Rubbo. 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 Hey Waiter! 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.