- BGG rank
- BGG #20,547
- BGG rating
- 6.3
Jardinero
- 2–5 players
- 15 min
- Complexity 1.0/5
- 2022
- BGG rank
- BGG #19,830
- BGG rating
- 6.2
La Macarena
2016
Rules assistance for La Macarena
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–5 players
- 20–40 min
- 10+
- Complexity 1.6/5
Rules assistant for La Macarena
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
La Macarena is a board game released in 2016 for 2–5 players, 20–40 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Maldón and its main mechanics are Hand Management.
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About the game
Each round in La Macarena, the four elements (fire, earth, air and water) are available, and at the end of it, the player who has collected most cards of a given element will earn the corresponding element token. When a player has all four different tokens, they can exchange them for an amulet to win the game (two amulets are needed when playing with 2 or 3 players). On a player's turn, they first draw a card, then may pass or discard one or more cards to one of the seven cards on the table. To do the latter, the cards need to have the same value or the same color and a value of one more or one less than the current cards. If a player can form a chain of cards that follows these rules, they can put all the cards except for the last one into their personal collection. Each card exists twice, and by playing a card on its twin, a player blocks the space to all other players (until he or she has to pass, then the blockade is lifted). This gains the player an additional turn with some privileges. When a player runs out of hand cards or the draw pile is used up, the round ends and element tokens are handed out. If nobody fulfills the winning condition by then, a new hand is dealt.
Questions and answers
La Macarena supports 2–5 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 Macarena is 20–40 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 Macarena 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.
La Macarena has a complexity rating of 1.6 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.
La Macarena belongs to these categories: Card Game. Its main mechanics are Hand Management. 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 Macarena are: Maldón. 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 Macarena 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.