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PWNED!
- 2 players
- 15–30 min
- Complexity 1.0/5
- 2025
- BGG rank
- BGG #19,602
- BGG rating
- 7.2
熊之島 (Isle of Bears)
2026
Rules assistance for 熊之島 (Isle of Bears)
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2 players
- 10–15 min
- 8+
- Complexity 2.0/5
Rules assistant for 熊之島 (Isle of Bears)
For 2 players
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
熊之島 (Isle of Bears) is a board game released in 2026 for 2 players, 10–15 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by Daisy Yi-Ching Chen and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Take That, and Square Grid.
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About the game
Cute but brutal! In 2025, a group of polar bears leaves the ice-free Arctic to seize the black bears’ isles. Isle of Bears is a quick, highly interactive two-player tactical game about stacking bears, stealing control, and pushing your opponent into trouble. Each turn, you choose one of three available action cards to move, jump, swap, gather, push, or rearrange the bears. Bears sharing a space move together, and only the bear on top matters: if your bear is on top, you control the whole stack. This creates a constant back-and-forth battle. A single move can cover an opponent’s bear, free a trapped stack, or suddenly turn a safe position into an overcrowded one. When six or more bears gather on the same space, opposing bears are pushed into the sea. Meanwhile, empty isles disappear, making the board smaller and the confrontation increasingly tight. There is no long-term engine to build and very little downtime. Isle of Bears is a 10–15 minute tactical duel where you make the best move from the cards available, disrupt your opponent, and adapt as the board changes. You win immediately when your bears are on top of every remaining occupied space.
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Taiwan Boardgame Design
- Heybye Gaming
Questions and answers
熊之島 (Isle of Bears) 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 熊之島 (Isle of Bears) is 10–15 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 熊之島 (Isle of Bears) for ages 8 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.
熊之島 (Isle of Bears) has a complexity rating of 2.0 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.
熊之島 (Isle of Bears) belongs to these categories: Card Game, Animals, and Territory Building. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Take That, and Square Grid. 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 熊之島 (Isle of Bears) are: Daisy Yi-Ching Chen. 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 熊之島 (Isle of Bears) 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.