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La bâtarde
2004
Rules assistance for La bâtarde
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 3–8 players
- 25–45 min
- 8+
- Complexity 3.0/5
For 3 players
Rules assistant for La bâtarde
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
La bâtarde is a board game released in 2004 for 3–8 players, 25–45 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by Jules Marconnier and its main mechanics are Trick-taking.
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About the game
"La bâtarde" (the bastard) is a French card game in the same style as Tarot, Coinche, Belote, a kind of traditional, trick-taking, card games. Each player plays one card, either following suit of the same color if possible, playing a trump, or otherwise any other card - the card with the highest value scores the point. The unique gameplay is that players don't win by scoring points, you win by announcing how many points you will score, and it can be 0 ! An extract from the beginning of the rulebook : The Bastard one is a thrilling and mysterious card game. Some claim that a primitive version originated in the North of India and arrived in Venice via Asia Minor, from where it spread through Europe. It is also told that it owes its name to the illegitimate daughter of a Syldavian prince who introduced it to his father’s court. Others maintain that three Portuguese sailors brought it back from much further afield. But nothing is less sure... In this game, there are no teams, it is every person for themselves. 3 to 8 players can play. Draw to designate the dealer (highest card). Next round the dealer shifts clockwise. Deal the cards face down, one by one. A “rubber” is a set of games made up of several “hands” all dealt in the same way. After each hand is dealt, the players look at their cards and announce in advance the number of “tricks” that they think they will win. This is called “bidding”. In this game you never pass. Each player bids on each round. The bidding system leads all the players to agree on which “suit” is the “trump”, if any. There are 6 possibilities: all cards are trump, spades are trump, hearts are trump, diamonds are trump, clubs are trump – or there is no trump. When playing with trump, the order of the cards is different.
Questions and answers
La bâtarde supports 3–8 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 La bâtarde is 25–45 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 La bâtarde 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.
La bâtarde has a complexity rating of 3.0 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-weight 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.
La bâtarde belongs to these categories: Card Game. Its main mechanics are 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 La bâtarde are: Jules Marconnier. 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 La bâtarde 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.