- BGG rank
- BGG #14,351
- BGG rating
- 6.1
Palenque
- 2–6 players
- 60 min
- Complexity 2.2/5
- 2011
- BGG rank
- BGG #25,016
- BGG rating
- 5.9
Junk Yard
2002
Rules assistance for Junk Yard
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–6 players
- 60 min
- 9+
- Complexity 2.5/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Junk Yard
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Junk Yard is a board game released in 2002 for 2–6 players, 60 minutes per game, and ages 9 and up. It was designed by Alan D. Ernstein and its main mechanics are Tile Placement, Enclosure, and Trick-taking.
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About the game
Throw a set of dominoes, a deck of cards, and a game board into a trash bag. Shake it up really well then dump it onto the table. Since you will still only have a jumbled set of dominoes, cards and a board, you should try the Junk Yard of games contained in this bag instead. We have taken come of the best features of cards games like taking tricks, passing cards you don't like to another player and trumping your opponent's clever play. We've added the great things about dominoes like standing them up in front of you instead of having to hold a deck of cards, stacking them up, knocking them down, and the solid thunk one makes when you play it on the table with authority. Add a board (well, actually a bag with a board printed on it) to play these games on and make your tiles look better than most other trash and you have Junk Yard and other Trick-Taking Tile-Laying Board Games.
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Hangman Games
Questions and answers
Junk Yard 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 Junk Yard is 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 Junk Yard for ages 9 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.
Junk Yard has a complexity rating of 2.5 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.
Junk Yard belongs to these categories: Abstract Strategy. Its main mechanics are Tile Placement, Enclosure, and Trick-taking. 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 Junk Yard are: Alan D. Ernstein. 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 Junk Yard 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.