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Alhambra: Big Box
- 2–6 players
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- 2009
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Olé!
1996
Rules assistance for Olé!
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 3–8 players
- 30 min
- 8+
- Complexity 1.4/5
For 3 players
Rules assistant for Olé!
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Olé! is a board game released in 1996 for 3–8 players, 30 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by Wolfgang Panning and its main mechanics are Hand Management and Ladder Climbing.
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About the game
The object of this simple card game is to rid yourself of your hand of cards. The deck consists of four suits, two have one through twelve cards, two have one through fifteen cards. The suits are ranked high to low, with the fifteen suits in the middle. Each turn, players have to play a card onto the last card played. In order for the play to be legal, the card played must be 'higher' in either suit or numeric value. If you play a card that beats the last card in both categories (suit and value), then you must play another card with the same restrictions. If you cannot play a card, then you take penalty. The first person to play his entire hand ends the hand, and everyone scores the value of the remaining cards in his hand. During subsequent hands, the player with the highest score (the current loser) can decide to reverse the suit order (mirror it) to make his hand better.
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Questions and answers
Olé! supports 3–8 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 Olé! is 30 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 Olé! for ages 8 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.
Olé! has a complexity rating of 1.4 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.
Olé! belongs to these categories: Card Game. Its main mechanics are Hand Management and Ladder Climbing. 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 Olé! are: Wolfgang Panning. 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 Olé! 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.