
- BGG rank
- BGG #26,729
- BGG rating
- 5.5
Birds, Bugs and Beans
- 2–6 players
- 30 min
- Complexity 1.0/5
- 2003

1999
Rules assistance for Overthrone
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Overthrone is a board game released in 1999 for 3–6 players, 90 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Frank DiLorenzo and Stacey Merrill and its main mechanics are Trick-taking.
from the Game Report: The game is played in a series of rounds during which each person plays a card to the center of the table. Usually these cards will fall into one of four Suits: Gold, Courtiers, Provinces and Musketeers. The cards feature ranks from 1-7, and after all cards have been played the person who played the highest card in each Suit collects all the cards of that type. Captured cards are then placed into a person's "structure", which shows all the elements of a player's court. At the end of the game and at various points during play, a player scores points based on the value of the cards in his structure.
Overthrone supports 3–6 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 Overthrone is 90 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 Overthrone 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.
Overthrone 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.
Overthrone belongs to these categories: Card Game. Its main mechanics are Trick-taking. 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 Overthrone are: Frank DiLorenzo and Stacey Merrill. 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 Overthrone 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.