- BGG rank
- BGG #1,516
- BGG rating
- 7.5
Welcome to Everdell
- 1–4 players
- 30 min
- Complexity 1.9/5
- 2022
- BGG rank
- BGG #26,504
- BGG rating
- 5.7
Mermaid Beach
2011
Rules assistance for Mermaid Beach
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–5 players
- 15 min
- 6+
- Complexity 1.0/5
Rules assistant for Mermaid Beach
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Mermaid Beach is a board game released in 2011 for 2–5 players, 15 minutes per game, and ages 6 and up. It was designed by Emily Ehlers, Jake Ehlers, and Drew Ehlers and its main mechanics are Set Collection.
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About the game
Mermaid Beach, a card game created by an eight-year-old, plays somewhat like a take-that version of Go Fish. Each player starts the game with a hand of beach cards: these cards include four copies each of items like beach balls, sunglasses, umbrellas, and so on; a dozen mermaids/mermen; and seaweed, sneaker waves and a single sea monster. A deck of shell cards – with cards worth 1-4 points and starfish action cards – is shuffled and placed on the table. On a turn, a player can discard a mermaid/merman or matching pair of items to take the top shell card, discard a mean mermaid to steal another player's shell card, ask another player for an item card (a la Go Fish, drawing a card if you come up empty and scoring if you hit), play a sneaker wave to remove one opponent's shell card from play, or play seaweed to force someone to draw a beach card. If someone collects a shell card that is worth points, that player places the card on the table; if the shell card features a starfish, every player passes one beach card left or right as instructed. The game ends when a player has no cards left in hand or has only the sea monster in hand. In the latter case, this player must discard all of the highest-value shell cards that she has collected. The player with the most shell points wins.
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Gamewright
Questions and answers
Mermaid Beach 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 Mermaid Beach is 15 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 Mermaid Beach 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.
Mermaid Beach 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.
Mermaid Beach belongs to these categories: Card Game, Fantasy, and Children's Game. Its main mechanics are Set Collection. 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 Mermaid Beach are: Emily Ehlers, Jake Ehlers, and Drew Ehlers. 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 Mermaid Beach 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.