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- BGG #772
- BGG rating
- 7.1
A Fake Artist Goes to New York
- 5–10 players
- 20 min
- Complexity 1.1/5
- 2011
- BGG rank
- BGG #4,796
- BGG rating
- 6.4
In a Grove
2010
Rules assistance for In a Grove
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–5 players
- 20 min
- 9+
- Complexity 1.4/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for In a Grove
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
In a Grove is a board game released in 2010 for 2–5 players, 20 minutes per game, and ages 9 and up. It was designed by Jun Sasaki and its main mechanics are Memory.
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About the game
In a Grove — a.k.a. 藪の中, Yabunonaka, and Hattari — is a game of bluffing and deduction, and the player who makes too many false accusations loses the game. The game is played in rounds. Each round, each player receives one of the eight silhouettes (which are numbered 2-8 with one blank), while three silhouettes are placed in the center of the table as suspects and the final silhouette is dubbed the victim. (With three players, the #2 is removed from the game.) You have to determine which suspect is the culprit, either to accuse him or to lure the other players into accusing someone who's innocent! All players secretly look at their silhouettes, then pass them right, then look at the new silhouette they received. The first player of the round secretly looks at two of the three suspects, optionally swapping the victim for one of these suspects. This player then places a colored accusation marker below one of the suspects. The next player looks at the two suspects not just marked with an accusation marker, then places a colored accusation marker of their own, covering any markers already beneath that suspect. This continues until all four players have placed an accusation marker, with each player not being allowed to look at the suspect just accused. The round ends, and players reveal the suspects. Who's the culprit? The suspect bearing the highest number – except if the #5 is among the suspects, in which case the suspect with the lowest number is guilty. (The suspect with no number is always innocent.) Anyone who has accused the correct suspect receives their accusation marker back. Any markers incorrectly placed are flipped colored-side down and given to the player who owns the marker on top of the stack. The first player token rotates clockwise, then a new round begins. At the end of a turn if a player has eight or more tokens — or has no tokens — then the game ends, and that player loses. Earlier editions of In a Grove supported 3-4 players, while the 2021 edition contains slight changes to the rules and components to allow for play with 2-5 people.
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- asmodee
- More Fun Co., Ltd.
- Moonster Games
- Oink Games
- PopcornEdu
Questions and answers
In a Grove 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 In a Grove is 20 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 In a Grove for ages 9 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.
In a Grove 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.
In a Grove belongs to these categories: Deduction, Murder / Mystery, and Bluffing. Its main mechanics are Memory. 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 In a Grove are: Jun Sasaki. 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 In a Grove 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.