
- BGG rating
- 6.6
Periodic: A Game of the Elements – Low-Energy Efficiency
- 2–5 players
- 40 min
- Complexity 2.0/5
- 2021

2019
Rules assistance for Periodic: A Game of The Elements
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.
Periodic: A Game of The Elements is a board game released in 2019 for 2–5 players, 40 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by John Coveyou and Paul Salomon and its main mechanics are Set Collection, Grid Movement, and Action Points.
In Periodic: A Game of the Elements, players collect sets of elements and advance their research by moving through the periodic table. Players use energy to activate periodic trends and move in the corresponding directions. The conservation of energy forces players to spend carefully and play efficiently. The game ends when someone completes the research track or when a stack of goal cards is depleted. The player with the most victory points at the end of the game wins!
Periodic: A Game of The Elements 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 Periodic: A Game of The Elements is 40 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 Periodic: A Game of The Elements for ages 10 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.
Periodic: A Game of The Elements has a complexity rating of 1.9 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.
Periodic: A Game of The Elements belongs to these categories: Economic and Educational. Its main mechanics are Set Collection, Grid Movement, and Action Points. 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 Periodic: A Game of The Elements are: John Coveyou and Paul Salomon. 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 Periodic: A Game of The Elements 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.