- BGG rank
- BGG #6,001
- BGG rating
- 6.6
Richard Scarry's Busytown: Eye found it! Game
- 2–4 players
- 20 min
- Complexity 1.2/5
- 2009
- BGG rank
- BGG #7,461
- BGG rating
- 6.5
Max
1986
Rules assistance for Max
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 1–8 players
- 20 min
- 4+
- Complexity 1.1/5
For 1 player
Rules assistant for Max
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Max is a board game released in 1986 for 1–8 players, 20 minutes per game, and ages 4 and up. It was designed by Jim Deacove and its main mechanics are Roll / Spin and Move, Track Movement, and Cooperative Game.
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About the game
There are four animals in the game. All the players are responsible for the bird, mouse, and chipmunk's safe journey to their home in a tree at the end of the gameboard path. Unfortunately the tomcat "Max" is a natural hunter and chaser (he can't help himself) and is a continual threat. The goal is for the players to work together to get the three animals to the safety of the tree. All the animals move based on the roll of two dice, each containing three black pips and three green pips. A black pip moves Max one space, while green pips can be distributed by player consensus (teaches logic, consultation and decision making) among the other animals to move them. Max moves more often and further than the other creatures who share the green pip rolls. The players can opt to move their animals before or after Max; they may also use four cat treats to call Max back to the starting position, allowing the other animals to escape possible capture or lengthen their lead. Each animal has their own special short cut on the game board to speed their journey or dart from Max; if they end a turn on their shortcut start space, they may immediately move to the other end; if they overshoot the entrance, they miss it. However if Max ends a turn on any short-cut entrance, he takes it immediately (but will not eat any animal on the shortcut start. Max can end up between or even ahead of the other animals as they advance down the path together. When Max reaches the base of the tree, he camps out and can't be returned to the start with a cat treat. The other animals will have to risk a final leap on and off Max's back to get to safety. The players all win or lose depending on how successful they are at saving the bird, mouse and chipmunk from Max.
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- Egmont Polska
- Gen-X Games (GenX)
- Family Pastimes
- Zonnespel
- Keller & Mayer
- Sunny Games
Questions and answers
Max supports 1–8 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 Max is 20 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 Max for ages 4 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.
Max 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.
Max belongs to these categories: Animals, Children's Game, and Racing. Its main mechanics are Roll / Spin and Move, Track Movement, and Cooperative Game. 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 Max are: Jim Deacove. 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 Max 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.