- BGG rank
- BGG #23,120
- BGG rating
- 5.8
Zinga
- 2–4 players
- 15 min
- Complexity 1.0/5
- 2022
- BGG rank
- BGG #18,888
- BGG rating
- 6.4
Operation Cuckoo
2022
Rules assistance for Operation Cuckoo
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2 players
- 15–30 min
- 10+
- Complexity 1.0/5
Rules assistant for Operation Cuckoo
For 2 players
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Operation Cuckoo is a board game released in 2022 for 2 players, 15–30 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Dennis Harmsen and Esmée Spaargaren and its main mechanics are Grid Movement, Hexagon Grid, and Pattern Movement.
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About the game
Welcome to the battle nest! You have been dropped as an egg in an unfamiliar nest by your cuckoo mother. When you hatch, you notice that your egg was different than the other eggs. But this is your nest, right? So, you want to throw them out. Looking around, you notice another cuckoo. Your competitor! Will you manage to get rid of all other eggs or lure your competitor into a trap? Start the battle. You take alternating turns, with the starting player going first. Your turn consists of moving one game piece on the board, your turn ends after the movement. There are three different game pieces, each with their own rules for movement. Game pieces can only move to a space on the board that is empty or occupied by an opponent. Game pieces cannot jump over other game pieces. When you move a game piece to an occupied space, you capture your opponent on this space. Your opponents’ game piece is then removed from the board and your game piece takes its place. There are two basic rules to keep in mind; 1) if you can capture an opponent, you are obliged to. 2) You can only move your game pieces in a forward direction, except when you can capture an opponent behind you. Your movement options lead to two potential situations; 1) you can capture an opponent, or 2) you cannot capture an opponent. There are four winning conditions in this battle. 1) All game pieces of your own color are captured, except your own cuckoo. 2) You capture your opponents’ cuckoo. 3) You enter one of the homebases of your opponent with your own cuckoo, thereby taking over their nest. 4) Your opponent enters one of your homebases with any game piece other than their cuckoo, this game piece is now safe from being captured. —description from publisher
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- Jolly Dutch Productions
Questions and answers
Operation Cuckoo supports 2 players according to the catalogue. This is the publisher’s listed player count, so the game is designed for exactly that number of participants. Variants for other group sizes, if any, are described in the rulebook of your edition, so check it before setting up a different configuration.
The listed playing time for Operation Cuckoo is 15–30 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 Operation Cuckoo for ages 10 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.
Operation Cuckoo 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.
Operation Cuckoo belongs to these categories: Animals and Abstract Strategy. Its main mechanics are Grid Movement, Hexagon Grid, and Pattern Movement. 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 Operation Cuckoo are: Dennis Harmsen and Esmée Spaargaren. 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 Operation Cuckoo 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.