- BGG rank
- BGG #6,963
- BGG rating
- 6.7
Pick a Pen: Gardens
- 2–4 players
- 30 min
- Complexity 1.7/5
- 2023
- BGG rank
- BGG #11,424
- BGG rating
- 6.4
Pick a Pen: Reefs
2023
Rules assistance for Pick a Pen: Reefs
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–4 players
- 30 min
- 8+
- Complexity 1.4/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Pick a Pen: Reefs
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Pick a Pen: Reefs is a board game released in 2023 for 2–4 players, 30 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by Reiner Knizia and its main mechanics are Paper-and-Pencil, Line Drawing, and Drawing.
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About the game
Each turn in Pick a Pen: Reefs, the active player rolls the five colored pencils, then chooses one and marks spaces on their individual player sheet. Each other player in turn drafts a pencil and uses it. Pencils show symbols on their different sides, and the symbols on top of the chosen pencil determine what players do on their sheets. Each sheet shows colored dive locations in the reefs. You can have only one route per color, so if you don't yet have a route of that color, you start one at an empty dive location; otherwise, you extend your existing route of that color. The symbols on the pencil indicate how many steps you can color in and whether you have to go straight or can choose freely. If you reach treasure chests or coins on your route, you can color in bonus points on your sheet. The game ends when one of the players has colored a certain number of treasures or all of their coins. You each have a score sheet of the same level, on which you color in routes from different dive locations. The starting player first rolls all the pencils, each of which has a different color. There are different symbols on its sides. They show how many steps the route consists of that you can color on your score sheet. Pick a Pen: Reefs includes three difficulty levels of player sheets, with sheets 2 and 3 featuring vortices and propellers that can hinder or help you in different ways when coloring routes.
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- AMIGO
- 999 Games
Questions and answers
Pick a Pen: Reefs supports 2–4 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 Pick a Pen: Reefs is 30 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 Pick a Pen: Reefs 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.
Pick a Pen: Reefs has a complexity rating of 1.4 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.
Pick a Pen: Reefs belongs to these categories: Exploration, Puzzle, and Nautical. Its main mechanics are Paper-and-Pencil, Line Drawing, and Drawing. 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 Pick a Pen: Reefs 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 Pick a Pen: Reefs 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.