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- BGG #2,110
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Hare & Tortoise
- 2–6 players
- 45 min
- Complexity 1.9/5
- 1974
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- BGG #6,806
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- 7.3
Katarenga
2017
Rules assistance for Katarenga
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2 players
- 20 min
- 8+
- Complexity 2.3/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Katarenga
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Katarenga is a board game released in 2017 for 2 players, 20 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by David Parlett and its main mechanics are Square Grid, Grid Movement, and Modular Board.
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About the game
Your objective in Katarenga is to get two of your figures past the opposing baseline. That may sound easy — but your opponent is flexible and dangerous. The abilities of the playing figures change from one move to the next. Only if you realize the advantages of the division of four possible actions, make clever use of the different strengths, and plan ahead can you outsmart your opponent through tactical play and thus win the game. Description from the designer: Katarenga is a two-player abstract consisting of a variable board, 16 pawns, and rules of movement derived from Chess. Each pawn’s move is governed by the colour of the square it moves away from (red = rook, yellow = bishop, green = knight, blue = king). For each game the board is constructed from four double-sided quarterboards, each of which can be placed either way up and any way round, yielding a total of over 24,000 different 8x8 boards. In the basic game your aim is to get two of your pawns to the opposite side without being captured. The same equipment can be used for playing a variety of other games with the same rules of movement and capture. Can you invent more?
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- HUCH!
- Rio Grande Games
- Gigamic
Questions and answers
Katarenga 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 Katarenga 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 Katarenga 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.
Katarenga has a complexity rating of 2.3 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.
Katarenga belongs to these categories: Abstract Strategy. Its main mechanics are Square Grid, Grid Movement, and Modular Board. 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 Katarenga are: David Parlett. 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 Katarenga 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.