- BGG rank
- BGG #6,586
- BGG rating
- 7.1
Assembly
- 1–4 players
- 10–20 min
- Complexity 1.2/5
- 2016
- BGG rank
- BGG #26,219
- BGG rating
- 5.6
Pilfering Pandas
2022
Rules assistance for Pilfering Pandas
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 1–4 players
- 20–30 min
- 10+
- Complexity 2.0/5
Rules assistant for Pilfering Pandas
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Pilfering Pandas is a board game released in 2022 for 1–4 players, 20–30 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Janice Turner and Stu Turner and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Set Collection, and Cooperative Game.
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About the game
You’re a busy group of pandas planning your escape from the zoo but you’ll need supplies. You have been rummaging and pilfering unwanted food from all the other animals but now the Zoo Keeper is on to you. You must quickly trade all the goods you have collected so you can get the supplies you need and make your escape before you get caught. But be careful, certain actions will raise the Zoo Keeper’s suspicion more than others. Pilfering Pandas is a reinvention of a classic card game but we've made a huge number of changes, not least creating a cooperative and solo mode. Pilfering Pandas is the third game from Wren Games who aim to bring back gaming to busy people. Pilfering Pandas therefore have a short playtime but we maintain depth of decisions and intuitive gameplay to give a game with some bite. Pilfering Pandas has similarities to Rummy as you are making number sets and runs but it also has this really interesting discard pile mechanism and this was the thing that we most wanted to bring to modern-day gaming. The Hideout is where you 'discard' a card but unlike traditional discard piles, the Hideout is not a pile, it's a spread of cards visible to all players and, for a fee, you can pick up as many cards as you want from it and make huge plays of sets in a single turn (there's only a hand limit in solo games). Players must collect sets and trade them with the Meerkats to earn points to increase their chance of escaping from the zoo. However, they must always stay at least one step ahead of the zoo keeper so they don't get caught by playing and picking up cards wisely and efficiently. But didn't want Pilfering Pandas to be just another set collection game so we also introduced a whole new level to set collecting whereby the previous sets you play directly effects what sets you can play in the future, making it much more strategic than traditional set collecting games. -description from designer
Designers
Publishers
- Wren Games
Questions and answers
Pilfering Pandas supports 1–4 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 Pilfering Pandas is 20–30 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 Pilfering Pandas 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.
Pilfering Pandas 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.
Pilfering Pandas belongs to these categories: Card Game, Animals, and Puzzle. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Set Collection, and Cooperative Game. 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 Pilfering Pandas are: Janice Turner and Stu Turner. 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 Pilfering Pandas 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.