
- BGG rank
- BGG #482
- BGG rating
- 7.4
Trio
- 3–6 players
- 15 min
- Complexity 1.1/5
- 2021

1993
Rules assistance for Janus
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 3 players

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Janus is a board game released in 1993 for 3–6 players, 20 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by Lothar Hannappel and its main mechanics are Set Collection.
Janus is a card game with an interesting twist: cards have symbols on both sides! And while you see one side of the cards you're holding, your opponents can see the other side of your cards... Another interesting twist is the possibility to take the card from the draw/discard pile, or from other player's hands. But in both cases you always cannot flip the cards, so you can't know what is the symbol depicted on the "hidden" side of your card (until you discard one of them and someone else pick up it)... There are 66 cards with 10 different symbols. Goal of the game is collect as many sets of 3 as possible.
Janus supports 3–6 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 Janus 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 Janus 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.
Janus has a complexity rating of 1.1 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.
Janus belongs to these categories: Card Game and Memory. Its main mechanics are Set Collection. 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 Janus are: Lothar Hannappel. 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 Janus 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.