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X Marks the Spot
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Pirates, Ninjas, Robots, & Zombies
2014
Rules assistance for Pirates, Ninjas, Robots, & Zombies
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–4 players
- 20–30 min
- 8+
- Complexity 1.0/5
Rules assistant for Pirates, Ninjas, Robots, & Zombies
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Pirates, Ninjas, Robots, & Zombies is a board game released in 2014 for 2–4 players, 20–30 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by Mike Richie and its main mechanics are Tile Placement.
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About the game
The question that has bewildered evil masterminds and superheroes alike can at last be answered: Who would triumph in a face-off between pirates, ninjas, robots, or zombies? In the tactical tile-laying game Pirates, Ninjas, Robots, & Zombies, players attempt to settle the debate once and for all by assembling the highest scoring section of your chosen faction. Each player starts with a base token in hand for their faction along with three other tiles from the 58 included in the game. On a turn, a player either places one tile from hand into the playing area (with each tile featuring four illustrated quadrants and possibly a special action symbol) or moves his already placed base tile to a new location. The action symbols allow you to rotate or swap tiles already in play. Once the final tile is drawn, players take one final turn, then tally the score of their most valuable section of orthogonally connected tiles. The base token is worth five points, regular characters worth one point, and bonus items worth three points. Each faction has arch-enemies scattered amongst the tiles — e.g., kraken for pirates — and each arch-enemy touching your faction costs you a point. Whoever has the most valuable faction wins!
Questions and answers
Pirates, Ninjas, Robots, & Zombies 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 Pirates, Ninjas, Robots, & Zombies 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 Pirates, Ninjas, Robots, & Zombies 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.
Pirates, Ninjas, Robots, & Zombies 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.
Pirates, Ninjas, Robots, & Zombies belongs to these categories: Zombies and Pirates. 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 Pirates, Ninjas, Robots, & Zombies are: Mike Richie. 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 Pirates, Ninjas, Robots, & Zombies 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.