
- BGG rating
- 7.4
Kharnage: Cohen Jr.
- 2–4 players
- 20–30 min
- 2017

2016
Rules assistance for Kharnage
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 2 players

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Kharnage is a board game released in 2016 for 2–4 players, 20 minutes per game, and ages 14 and up. It was designed by Yann and Clem, Clem Seurat, and Yann Uhart and its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Hand Management, and Action Queue.
Kharnage is a fast and fun fighting game in a med-fan world in which you are the warchief of the mighty humans, the strong (and alcoholic) dwarves, the amazing horde of goblins, or the ferocious orcs (and their giant!). Your goal in Kharnage is to take control of something strategically essential, astoundingly beautiful, and envy of all other nations: a hill. Yes, just a hill. Admittedly, it is a nice hill. It may have a very commanding view of the surroundings, or it may not. You won't know until you get up there! To do so, you're going to have to drive off the armies of the other players by simply causing as much mayhem and bloodshed as possible. Each turn, you choose one battle card. The player with the lowest initiative value begins and: Deploys new units and applies skills if needed, or Attacks (shoot or assault) one opponent with all points, or two opponents by dividing their points. The next player then begins their turn, doing the same. After all players have taken their turn, the player who destroyed the largest number of units wins 5 domination points, the second 3 domination points, and the third 1 domination point. The last one has only their eyes for crying. Each time a player totally destroys an opponent army, they must yell "KHARNAGE!", loud and clear, and stomp the table. They then take a Kharnage token worth 1 domination point. The other players must cheer them on by yelling "YEAH!"; if not, they lose a Kharnage token if they have one. After four rounds, the warchief with the most domination points wins!
Kharnage supports 2–4 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 Kharnage 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 Kharnage for ages 14 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.
Kharnage has a complexity rating of 2.0 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.
Kharnage belongs to these categories: Card Game, Fantasy, and Fighting. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Hand Management, and Action Queue. 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 Kharnage are: Yann and Clem, Clem Seurat, and Yann Uhart. 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 Kharnage 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.