
- BGG rank
- BGG #1,339
- BGG rating
- 7.5
ROVE: Results-Oriented Versatile Explorer
- 1 player
- 15 min
- Complexity 2.0/5
- 2021

2020
Rules assistance for It Was This Big
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
It Was This Big is a board game released in 2020 for 1–10 players, 5–60 minutes per game, and ages 6 and up. It was designed by Milan Zivkovic and its main mechanics are Push Your Luck and Solo / Solitaire Game.
After a long day out on the water, you want to brag about your day's catch. No one believed your last elaborate tale about landing the largest fish, so you decide to try again. The question remains: how big was it? It Was This Big is push your luck game with 18 identical cards, where you try to create the biggest fish by laying cards. The active player places two border cards (head and tail), leaving space in between them. They will then try to fit body parts between those cards. If they manage to do it, they'll score all of the body cards. If they fail, it's next player turn. The player with the most points is the winner.
It Was This Big supports 1–10 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 It Was This Big is 5–60 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 It Was This Big for ages 6 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.
It Was This Big has a complexity rating of 1.0 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.
It Was This Big belongs to these categories: Card Game, Party Game, and Print & Play. Its main mechanics are Push Your Luck and Solo / Solitaire Game. 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 It Was This Big are: Milan Zivkovic. 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 It Was This Big 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.