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Gemblo
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- 2003
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Pipe Work
2016
Rules assistance for Pipe Work
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 1–4 players
- 20 min
- 6+
- Complexity 1.0/5
Rules assistant for Pipe Work
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Pipe Work is a board game released in 2016 for 1–4 players, 20 minutes per game, and ages 6 and up. It was designed by Justin Oh and its main mechanics are Tile Placement.
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About the game
Pipe Work is a simultaneous-play, tile placement game with the tiles actually being pipes that connect colored tokens on your 5x5 playing area. In each of the eight rounds, players start by revealing a card that shows where the pairs of colored tokens are placed on their individual 5x5 game board. As soon as everyone's done this, all players race simultaneously to place pipes in their game board to create connections between matching tokens. Players grab numbered spanner cards in the order that they finish, and whoever grabs the "1" spanner gets first choice of a scoring card. Incorrect tile layouts net someone the "4" spanner. After eight rounds, whoever has the most medals wins!
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Broadway Toys LTD
- Gemblo Company
Questions and answers
Pipe Work 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 Pipe Work 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 Pipe Work for ages 6 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.
Pipe Work has a complexity rating of 1.0 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.
Pipe Work belongs to these categories: Puzzle and Real-time. Its main mechanics are Tile Placement. 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 Pipe Work are: Justin Oh. 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 Pipe Work 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.