
- BGG rating
- 7.1
Hippos & Crocodiles: Buffalos
- 2–3 players
- 15 min
- Complexity 1.5/5
- 2010

2009
Rules assistance for Hippos & Crocodiles
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 2 players

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Hippos & Crocodiles is a board game released in 2009 for 2 players, 10 minutes per game, and ages 6 and up. It was designed by Néstor Romeral Andrés and its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers and Tile Placement.
HIPPOS AND CROCODILES is a board game for 2 players designed by Néstor Romeral Andrés in 2007. It takes 10 minutes to play. The object of the game is to fill up the river with hippos and crocodiles. If a player can’t place a piece on the board, he loses.
Hippos & Crocodiles 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 Hippos & Crocodiles is 10 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 Hippos & Crocodiles 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.
Hippos & Crocodiles 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.
Hippos & Crocodiles belongs to these categories: Animals and Abstract Strategy. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers and Tile Placement. 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 Hippos & Crocodiles are: Néstor Romeral Andrés. 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 Hippos & Crocodiles 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.