- BGG rating
- 7.1
Oranges & Lemons: Here Comes a Candle
- 1–5 players
- 90–150 min
- Complexity 3.0/5
- 2025
- BGG rank
- BGG #5,105
- BGG rating
- 7.6
Oranges & Lemons
2024
Rules assistance for Oranges & Lemons
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–5 players
- 90–120 min
- 12+
- Complexity 3.2/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Oranges & Lemons
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Oranges & Lemons is a board game released in 2024 for 2–5 players, 90–120 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Richard Denning and its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Loans, and End Game Bonuses.
Expansions
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About the game
Oranges and Lemons is a worker placement game. Starting with just two workers, limited storage capacity and only able to transport what one person can carry the players must make the best they can of early 18th-century London, expanding their transport by acquiring first a hand cart, then a horse and cart and ultimately a ship, and by visiting locations mentioned in and activities inspired by the Oranges and Lemons nursery rhyme. Here they can buy and sell goods such as lemons, pancakes, bricks and pans, get involved in the moneylending business, fulfil export contracts at the docks, try their hand at politics, invest in the early stock market or back risky but possibly lucrative expeditions to the East Indies. There are multiple routes to obtaining wealth and prestige. The winner will be the player who can best combine the available strategies to emerge as a Master of Commerce, with the city at their feet. —description from their designer
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Medusa Games
Questions and answers
Oranges & Lemons 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 Oranges & Lemons is 90–120 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 Oranges & Lemons for ages 12 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.
Oranges & Lemons has a complexity rating of 3.2 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-weight 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.
Oranges & Lemons belongs to these categories: Economic and Age of Reason. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Loans, and End Game Bonuses. 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 Oranges & Lemons are: Richard Denning. 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 Oranges & Lemons 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.