
- BGG rank
- BGG #384
- BGG rating
- 7.4
Cat in the Box: Deluxe Edition
- 2–5 players
- 20–40 min
- Complexity 2.1/5
- 2022

2013
Rules assistance for HUND
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.
HUND is a board game released in 2013 for 2–5 players, 45 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Klaus Geis and its main mechanics are Trick-taking.
The smartest dogs in the world are getting together for game night! Now you have to keep an eye on which dogs will play which roles and make the right choices. Who will be the best dog? In the trick-taking game HUND, which was first released as ebbes, players try to collect as many points as possible, but initially no one knows which suit will generate positive or negative points! To start a round, shuffle the deck of cards, which has five suits, and deal players their hand. Next, reveal a number designation card from a separate deck. Let's say it's 3. Gameplay is similar to traditional trick-taking games. The lead player for a trick plays one card, and the other players must follow suit if possible, while throwing any other card if they can't. The highest card of the color led wins the trick, unless one or more trump cards were played, in which case the highest trump wins the trick — but at the start of the round, trump is undetermined! The first time a 3 is played, the color of that card becomes trump for the rest of the round. What's more... The color of the second 3 played determines which color is worth 1 point per card at the end of the round. The color of the third 3 determines the "hund" color; at round's end, the player(s) who don't have the most or fewest cards of this color each earn 3 points. The color of the fourth 3 determines which color is worth -1 point per card. The color of the fifth 3, which is evident as soon as the fourth 3 is played, allows the player who collects the most of these cards to determine the start player of the subsequent round after cards for that round have been dealt. The game includes color markers to track this information. After five rounds, whoever has the highest score wins.
HUND supports 2–5 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 HUND is 45 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 HUND 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.
HUND has a complexity rating of 2.2 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-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.
HUND belongs to these categories: Card Game and Animals. Its main mechanics are Trick-taking. 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 HUND are: Klaus Geis. 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 HUND 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.