- BGG rank
- BGG #13,397
- BGG rating
- 6.3
World War 5
- 2–4 players
- 15 min
- Complexity 1.6/5
- 2008
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- BGG #22,003
- BGG rating
- 6.3
Petri Dish
2016
Rules assistance for Petri Dish
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–10 players
- 10–40 min
- 7+
- Complexity 2.0/5
Rules assistant for Petri Dish
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Petri Dish is a board game released in 2016 for 2–10 players, 10–40 minutes per game, and ages 7 and up. It was designed by Andrew Looney and its main mechanics are Area Movement and Dice Rolling.
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About the game
Petri Dish is a dice-driven contest between pyramidal micro-organisms. This Looney Pyramids game had a long pre-history as an unpublished prototype before its first publication as part of Pyramid Arcade. Each of 2 to 10 (!) players has nine pieces, of which four start in play. The goal is to eliminate all of the other players' pieces, or to get all of yours onto the board. Each turn, a player takes three actions, constrained by the throw of a set of three custom dice.
Questions and answers
Petri Dish supports 2–10 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 Petri Dish is 10–40 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 Petri Dish for ages 7 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.
Petri Dish 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.
Petri Dish belongs to these categories: Dice and Medical. Its main mechanics are Area Movement and Dice Rolling. 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 Petri Dish are: Andrew Looney. 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 Petri Dish 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.