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- BGG rating
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Manifest
- 2–5 players
- 45–90 min
- Complexity 2.8/5
- 2014
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Komodo
2012
Rules assistance for Komodo
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–4 players
- 45 min
- 8+
- Complexity 2.3/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Komodo
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Komodo is a board game released in 2012 for 2–4 players, 45 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by Julia Schiller and Amanda Milne and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Tile Placement, and Modular Board.
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About the game
In the strategic tile-laying game Komodo, players are zoologists attempting to build new habitats for Australasian animals imperilled by an incoming asteroid. Each player holds two animal cards stating the type and amount of terrain needed, five multi-terrain tiles, and wild cards. On a turn, they may lay up to three tiles, place one or both of their animals in free-form contiguous blocks of appropriate terrain, and use all or some of their wild cards. The starter tile has two blocks of each of the four terrain types: forest, grassland, desert and water. The number of blocks of terrain needed by an animal is equivalent to the number of points you can score by placing it. When the tile supply is exhausted, each player takes a final turn, then loses points for any unplaced animals still in hand. The player with the highest score wins. Komodo can be played competitively in both basic or strategic mode. In the former, wild cards are obtained randomly; in the latter, players can choose their wild cards. Actions permitted by a wild card include: releasing animals to free up their terrain; bartering or stealing terrain tiles; remodeling tiles already placed; and forcing an exchange of animals. In the cooperative version of Komodo, all 32 animals must be housed and each player must place at least one animal during their turn. The game is played open-handed, and the wild cards hinder the players.
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- SchilMil Games, Ltd.
Questions and answers
Komodo 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 Komodo is 45 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 Komodo 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.
Komodo 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.
Komodo belongs to these categories: Animals, Territory Building, and Negotiation. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Tile Placement, 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 Komodo are: Julia Schiller and Amanda Milne. 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 Komodo 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.