- BGG rank
- BGG #1,895
- BGG rating
- 7.0
Campy Creatures
- 2–5 players
- 20–30 min
- Complexity 1.6/5
- 2017
- BGG rank
- BGG #5,916
- BGG rating
- 6.3
It's Alive!
2007
Rules assistance for It's Alive!
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–5 players
- 15–30 min
- 12+
- Complexity 1.6/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for It's Alive!
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
It's Alive! is a board game released in 2007 for 2–5 players, 15–30 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Yehuda Berlinger and its main mechanics are Set Collection and Auction / Bidding.
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About the game
It is the turn of the nineteenth century, and mad scientists throughout Europe are competing for the infamy of being the first to create life through the power of alchemy. Using only the raw materials provided by some dubious "Suppliers to the Anatomical Trade", harnessed lightning, and the services of a motley crew of unattractive servants, in It's Alive! you race to collect the eight body parts needed to create your monster and bring it to life. Unfortunately, the local peasants are particularly clumsy and tend to die in freak farming accidents, so the dubious gentlemen rarely find a whole cadaver in sufficiently good condition. Instead, they offer the parts they have managed to salvage. Each turn, you may buy the offered part, sell it to an anatomist for a meager profit, or auction it, trying to get a better deal or rip off your opponents. You might be lucky and get a coffin with a weakling clerk's cadaver in it, which can be used in lieu of any strapping villager's body part, or your involvement in the macabre trade might invoke the villagers' wrath. Reimplements (and reimplemented by) The Menorah Game
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Reiver Games
Questions and answers
It's Alive! 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 It's Alive! is 15–30 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's Alive! for ages 12 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's Alive! has a complexity rating of 1.6 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's Alive! belongs to these categories: Card Game and Horror. Its main mechanics are Set Collection and Auction / Bidding. 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's Alive! are: Yehuda Berlinger. 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's Alive! 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.