
- BGG rank
- BGG #11,545
- BGG rating
- 6.2
Easy Peasy
- 2–6 players
- 15 min
- Complexity 1.6/5
- 2025

2024
Rules assistance for Kitsu
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.
Kitsu is a board game released in 2024 for 2–6 players, 25 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Thomas Favrelière and its main mechanics are Track Movement, Team-Based Game, and Trick-taking.
A game is 1v1 or in teams of 2v2 or 3v3. The Kitsune are divided into 2 clans : Zenko (blue cards) and Yako (orange cards). You are assigned one clan at the beginning of the game but you will have to play with your clan's cards and the ones of the opposing clan to win. A round is a series of tricks. At the end of each trick, compare the total value of the orange Kitsu cards against the blue Kitsu cards. The clan with the higher value advances its Kistune marker on the Wisdom track by the difference between the orange Kitsu cards and the blue Kitsu cards total value. If this difference is higher than 4, the team who lost the trick gets a Power token. A round is over when a clan has brought its Kitsune marker on the absolute wisdom space. When a clan has won 2 rounds, the game ends. You will have to count on the special cards that spice things up, on the changes of strategy because of the timing and on the power tokens to win the game.
Kitsu 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 Kitsu is 25 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 Kitsu for ages 10 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.
Kitsu has a complexity rating of 1.8 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.
Kitsu belongs to these categories: Card Game. Its main mechanics are Track Movement, Team-Based Game, 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 Kitsu are: Thomas Favrelière. 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 Kitsu 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.