Mensch ärgere Dich nicht: Kick oder Karte
- 3–6 players
- 30 min
- 2008
- BGG rank
- BGG #31,364
- BGG rating
- 4.0
Mensch ärgere Dich nicht
1910
Rules assistance for Mensch ärgere Dich nicht
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–6 players
- 45–60 min
- 6+
- Complexity 1.0/5
Rules assistant for Mensch ärgere Dich nicht
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Mensch ärgere Dich nicht is a board game released in 1910 for 2–6 players, 45–60 minutes per game, and ages 6 and up. It was designed by Josef Friedrich Schmidt and its main mechanics are Race, Roll / Spin and Move, and Track Movement.
Expansions
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About the game
"Mensch ärgere Dich nicht" is a very well known German board game, developed by Josef Friedrich Schmidt in 1907/1908. The game was issued in 1914 and sold about 70 million copies. It is similar to Parcheesi, but has several considerably different rules. In the most recent Mensch ärgere Dich nicht: - You only roll with one die, not two. There are therefore no bonuses (which often give you choices in Parcheesi) and penalties for rolling doublets. Instead, you roll the die again if you rolled a 6. - You start the game with a pawn on your enter space. - It is much harder to enter a pawn after the beginning of the game. This happens on a 6 and it is compulsory. The probability is 16.67%, whereas the probability in Parcheesi to roll a 5 on one of two dice or with both dice together is considerably higher at 41.67%. So it is much less likely that you have more than one movable pawn which would present you with choices when you roll. - There are no bonuses for capturing opponent's pawns or for reaching home. - There are no safe places where you can't be captured by an opponent, not even your own enter space. - You have to move any pawn off your enter space first chance you get unless there are no more pawns in waiting to enter as well. Which also reduces the number of decisions you can make. - Blockades with two pawns of the same colour on a space aren't possible under the standard rules, they are only an optional variant. - The board is somewhat different, particularly there is no home path leading up to a home square. These differences are based on the rule PDFs of the Mensch ärgere dich nicht rules by Schmidt Spiele and the Parcheesi rules by Hasbro (version from 2001).
Designers
Publishers
- (Self-Published)
- Schmidt Spiele
- Hasbro
- Blatz
- Depesche
- Taz
- B. Braun Melsungen AG
Questions and answers
Mensch ärgere Dich nicht supports 2–6 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 Mensch ärgere Dich nicht is 45–60 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 Mensch ärgere Dich nicht for ages 6 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.
Mensch ärgere Dich nicht has a complexity rating of 1.0 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.
The main mechanics of Mensch ärgere Dich nicht are Race, Roll / Spin and Move, and Track Movement. Mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns, such as rolling dice, drafting cards or placing workers. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you enjoyed Mensch ärgere Dich nicht and want something comparable.
The credited designers of Mensch ärgere Dich nicht are: Josef Friedrich Schmidt. 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 Mensch ärgere Dich nicht 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.