- BGG rating
- 6.6
Orphans & Ashes: More Phun
- 3–4 players
- 30–45 min
- 2017
- BGG rank
- BGG #26,965
- BGG rating
- 5.7
Orphans & Ashes
2016
Rules assistance for Orphans & Ashes
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2 players
- 30–45 min
- 13+
- Complexity 2.0/5
Rules assistant for Orphans & Ashes
For 2 players
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Orphans & Ashes is a board game released in 2016 for 2 players, 30–45 minutes per game, and ages 13 and up. It was designed by Ryan Costello, Jr. and its main mechanics are Push Your Luck, Tile Placement, and Pick-up and Deliver.
Expansions
- BGG rating
- 4.0
Orphans & Attics
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- 2018
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About the game
Based on popular fantasy web comic Looking For Group, Orphans & Ashes is a race between Cale and Richard through a burning orphanage, with orphan lives on the line! Play as Cale and do your best to rescue the orphans, or play as Richard and harvest these innocent souls before the fire gets them first. Every turn is divided into two phases: the action phase and the fire phase. During the action phase, you have three actions to use and six actions from which to choose: Move your pawn; Guide an orphan; Put out a fire; Stop, drop, and roll; or your character's two special actions. During the fire phase, roll to see how many fires spread, following the immutable rules of the fire phase. Cale's player gets to use the pawn's unique orphan-hauling grip. Cale's arms are designed to hook onto the orphans' hands, allowing our elven hero to carry the orphans he saves with him. Richard uses the red fire pawns that, like the yellow fire pawns going around the orphanage, clip to the base of the pawns they set on fire. Orphans & Ashes is a fast-paced two-player tile-laying game with push-your-luck and dexterity elements that plays in 45-60 minutes. The game contains over one hundred plastic pieces, including more miniature orphans than any other game on the market, guaranteed.
Designers
Publishers
- Blind Ferret Entertainment
Questions and answers
Orphans & Ashes 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 Orphans & Ashes is 30–45 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 Orphans & Ashes 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.
Orphans & Ashes has a complexity rating of 2.0 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.
Orphans & Ashes belongs to these categories: Fantasy, Humor, and Comic Book / Strip. Its main mechanics are Push Your Luck, Tile Placement, and Pick-up and Deliver. 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 Orphans & Ashes are: Ryan Costello, Jr.. 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 Orphans & Ashes 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.