- BGG rank
- BGG #11,124
- BGG rating
- 6.3
Big Five
- 1–4 players
- 20 min
- Complexity 1.4/5
- 2010
- BGG rank
- BGG #31,407
- BGG rating
- 4.6
Penguin
2007
Rules assistance for Penguin
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 20 min
- 8+
- Complexity 1.1/5
Rules assistant for Penguin
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Penguin is a board game released in 2007 for 2–6 players, 20 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by Reiner Knizia and its main mechanics are Hand Management and Pattern Building.
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About the game
Penguin is a fast-paced game in which players stack colored plastic penguins that they draw at random from a bag at the start of the game. Players keep their penguins behind screens so that no one knows who has which colors. On a turn, a player adds a penguin to the pyramid. The first penguins are placed in the bottom row (obviously), but once two penguins are adjacent, a penguin matching the color of either of those penguins can be placed on top of them; e.g., either a red or blue penguin can be placed on top of adjacent red and blue penguins. The bottom row can be no more than seven penguins long. If a player knocks down the pyramid, he takes penalty points equal to the number of penguins behind his screen, then players start again from scratch. When a player can't play — whether because he has no penguins at all or no penguins that can legally be played — he passes. Once all players pass, the round ends and everyone scores one penalty point for each of his unplayed penguins. Anyone who played all of his penguins returns two penalty points. After playing as many rounds as the number of players, the game ends and whoever has the highest score wins.
Editions
- PenguinenFantasy Flight Games2007
- פינגוויןSilver Stars Publishing2009
- PingvinDelta Vision Publishing2008
- PinguiniitNexus Editrice2008
- TučňáciFantasy Flight Games2007
- BanquisefrUbik2007
- PenguinFantasy Flight Games2007
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Ubik
- Delta Vision Publishing
- Silver Stars Publishing
- Fantasy Flight Games
- Nexus Editrice
- Lautapelit.fi
Questions and answers
Penguin supports 2–6 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 Penguin is 20 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 Penguin for ages 8 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.
Penguin has a complexity rating of 1.1 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.
Penguin belongs to these categories: Animals and Action / Dexterity. Its main mechanics are Hand Management and Pattern 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 Penguin are: Reiner Knizia. 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 Penguin 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.