
- BGG rank
- BGG #23,525
- BGG rating
- 5.9
Geistermühle
- 2–4 players
- 20 min
- Complexity 1.3/5
- 2011

2010
Rules assistance for Magician's Kitchen
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.
Magician's Kitchen is a board game released in 2010 for 2–4 players, 20–25 minutes per game, and ages 5 and up. It was designed by Thomas Daum and Violetta Leitner.
Kaboom! Hiss! A colourful cloud of smoke billows out of the magic cauldron. It's a hot day in the old magic kitchen where the little magician's apprentices are learning the art of brewing magic potions. They need to put plenty of ingredients in the cauldron for this, then it will be time to make a fire. But will it be that easy? Leg of toad and stumbling curse – which of you will be the first? Magician's Kitchen is played on a square board with five objects placed on it: a cauldron in each corner, and a fireplace in the middle. Each player has four magic ingredients (marbles) which have to be delivered to each of the cauldrons. On his turn, a player takes his apprentice – a big wooden pawn with a bowl on top for holding "ingredients" – and places it on his starting location on the board. He puts one of his ingredients in the bowl (or two, if another player has already delivered all his ingredients). Then he uses his magic wand to push his apprentice toward a cauldron in order to deliver his ingredient. If the apprentice falls, his turn ends, and he has to try again on his next turn. A player who has already delivered all of his ingredients must try to light the fire by moving the fireball (another marble) to the fireplace. If he succeeds, he wins. Magician's Kitchen uses magnets and metal balls hidden under the playing surface (at random locations) to create "stumbling" points which make delivering the marbles more difficult. Watch your step!
Magician's Kitchen 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 Magician's Kitchen is 20–25 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 Magician's Kitchen for ages 5 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.
Magician's Kitchen has a complexity rating of 1.1 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.
Magician's Kitchen belongs to these categories: Fantasy, Children's Game, and Action / Dexterity. Categories describe the theme, setting and style of a game rather than its rules. Filter the catalogue by the same category to find similar games when you enjoyed Magician's Kitchen and want something comparable for your next game night.
The credited designers of Magician's Kitchen are: Thomas Daum and Violetta Leitner. 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 Magician's Kitchen 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.