
- BGG rating
- 6.8
Orcs Orcs Orcs: Mini-Expansion 1
- 2–4 players
- 45 min
- Complexity 1.8/5
- 2014

2014
Rules assistance for Orcs Orcs Orcs
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 2 players

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Orcs Orcs Orcs is a board game released in 2014 for 2–4 players, 45 minutes per game, and ages 13 and up. It was designed by Frank Thyben and its main mechanics are Deck, Bag, and Pool Building.
Orcs Orcs Orcs is a game for two to four players that combines two excellent game mechanics that have not been paired before (deck building and tower defense) and has players casting spells, squashing orcs and rolling up the score in the Orc Squash Tournament. The mages start the game on top of the tower in the middle of the battlefield. The battlefield consists of six lanes, each with three sectors, radiating out from the tower. On these lanes, the orcish hordes will try to charge all the way towards the tower. Your job is to defeat them before they can reach you. At the beginning of each game round players draw a fate card, which will determine which category of creatures will advance one sector towards the tower and sometimes implement a nasty rule change for that particular game round. There are three categories of orcs which differ in strength and special abilities that are conveyed to a player once an orc is defeated. The game ends when you run out of orcs on one of the four lanes. During the final scoring, players count up their defeated orcs and multiply them by the number on the creature counter, get points for each support spell learned and subtract points for each poison card in their deck. Whoever has the most points will be declared "Master Mage"!
Orcs Orcs Orcs supports 2–4 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 Orcs Orcs Orcs is 45 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 Orcs Orcs Orcs for ages 13 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.
Orcs Orcs Orcs has a complexity rating of 2.1 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-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.
Orcs Orcs Orcs belongs to these categories: Fantasy. Its main mechanics are Deck, Bag, and Pool Building. 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 Orcs Orcs Orcs are: Frank Thyben. 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 Orcs Orcs Orcs 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.