- BGG rank
- BGG #1,086
- BGG rating
- 8.5
Innovation Ultimate
- 2–5 players
- 30–60 min
- Complexity 3.2/5
- 2025
- BGG rating
- 7.5
Rules assistance for Innovation: Figures in the Sand
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–6 players
- 30–75 min
- 14+
- Complexity 3.1/5
Rules assistant for Innovation: Figures in the Sand
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Innovation: Figures in the Sand is an expansion for Innovation released in 2013 for 2–6 players, 30–75 minutes per game, and ages 14 and up. It was designed by Carl Chudyk and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Set Collection, and Layering.
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About the game
Innovation: Figures in the Sand, an expansion for Carl Chudyk's Innovation, breaks from the format of that game by providing players with recognizable figures from history (instead of new inventions or concepts) with those figures showing up on your table to help you — or maybe your opponent — win the game. Historical figures tend to be somewhat fickle. Figures includes 105 figure cards, with the cards being similar to Innovation cards in that they're divided into ten ages with five colors of cards in each age. Instead of including a dogma power that players can use on their turn, each card in Figures has a karma that changes the game in some way. Karmas might take effect when you meld a card, when you're counting icons to determine whether you can share an action, or when you take some other action in the game. Instead of melding a card, for example, you might score it, or instead of giving cards to opponents who demand from you, you might return cards to the age decks. Innovation: Figures in the Sand includes five Decree cards, one for each color. Decrees are a special type of achievement, but unlike all other achievements Decrees are not safe and can be stolen. A player can have only one Figure in play after any action in the game; any additional Figures Fade from play, moving to your score pile. Innovation: Figures in the Sand can be played with just the base game or combined with the Innovation: Echoes of the Past expansion.
Designers
Publishers
- Asmadi Games
Questions and answers
Innovation: Figures in the Sand supports 2–6 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 Innovation: Figures in the Sand is 30–75 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 Innovation: Figures in the Sand for ages 14 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.
Innovation: Figures in the Sand has a complexity rating of 3.1 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-weight 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.
Innovation: Figures in the Sand belongs to these categories: Card Game, Expansion for Base-game, and Civilization. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Set Collection, and Layering. 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 Innovation: Figures in the Sand are: Carl Chudyk. 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 Innovation: Figures in the Sand as an expansion for Innovation. Expansions add new content, rules or scenarios to the base game and usually cannot be played on their own, so you need Innovation to use it. Check that your edition of Innovation is compatible, as some expansions were revised between editions.