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6 nimmt! Brettspiel
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Primo
2013
Rules assistance for Primo
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–6 players
- 20 min
- 7+
- Complexity 1.5/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Primo
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Primo is a board game released in 2013 for 2–6 players, 20 minutes per game, and ages 7 and up. It was designed by Wolfgang Kramer and its main mechanics are Hand Management and Pattern Building.
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About the game
Players in Primo want to rid themselves of cards by laying them in sequence on six stacks shared amongst all the players. On a turn, a player has six cards in hand. In any order and as many times as the player wants, she can (1) play a card from her hand onto a stack if the number on the played card is one less than the top card of the stack, (2) move one stack onto another if the highest card of the moved stack is one less than the top card of the stack being covered, and (3) play any card from her hand onto an empty stack. A player's turn ends when she can play no more cards, possibly because she has emptied her hand! Two special cards are available with five copies of each; one forces opponents to take cards from the top of a stack and place them in their personal deck, and the other allows a player to play one or more cards at the top of the stack instead of the bottom. Instead of playing cards on a turn, a player can return any number of cards from her hand to the bottom of her deck, then draw that many cards. The first player to get rid of all cards in her deck and her hand wins! Two variants are included in the rules. First, players play four rounds, and after each round all players score negative points for the number of cards left in their decks and hands, while the player who went out scores three positive points. Second, instead of ignoring the card colors (blue and yellow), you choose whether you must alternate card colors in the stacks or have only a single color of cards in each stack.
Questions and answers
Primo supports 2–6 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 Primo 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 Primo 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.
Primo has a complexity rating of 1.5 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.
Primo belongs to these categories: Card Game. Its main mechanics are Hand Management and Pattern Building. 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 Primo are: Wolfgang Kramer. 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 Primo 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.