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Time's Up! Title Recall!
- 4–18 players
- 60 min
- Complexity 1.2/5
- 2008
- BGG rank
- BGG #4,654
- BGG rating
- 6.5
If Wishes Were Fishes!
2007
Rules assistance for If Wishes Were Fishes!
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–5 players
- 40 min
- 10+
- Complexity 2.0/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for If Wishes Were Fishes!
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
If Wishes Were Fishes! is a board game released in 2007 for 2–5 players, 40 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Peter Sarrett and Michael Adams and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Area Majority / Influence, and Commodity Speculation.
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About the game
Players are fishermen, trying to catch the most valuable fish and sell them in the market for the best prices. With limited space for storing caught fish, players must use their wits to get the right fish to market at the right times. This is where the granting of wishes is most helpful. Just catch the fish who will grant the wish you want, throw it back, and you get your wish. Sounds simple, but the game does require a bit of thinking and planning. The wishes can help you increase the value of fish when sold, grant you extra storage space, and several other useful things. From Rio Grande Games' site.
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Rio Grande Games
Questions and answers
If Wishes Were Fishes! 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 If Wishes Were Fishes! is 40 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 If Wishes Were Fishes! 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.
If Wishes Were Fishes! has a complexity rating of 2.0 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.
If Wishes Were Fishes! belongs to these categories: Animals and Economic. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Area Majority / Influence, and Commodity Speculation. 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 If Wishes Were Fishes! are: Peter Sarrett and Michael Adams. 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 If Wishes Were Fishes! 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.