
- BGG rank
- BGG #9,964
- BGG rating
- 8.2
Tikal Legend
- 1–4 players
- 30–180 min
- Complexity 3.1/5
- 2026

2019
Rules assistance for Rabbit Island: Explore, Build, Conquer
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 2 players

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Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Rabbit Island: Explore, Build, Conquer is a board game released in 2019 for 2–4 players, 45–120 minutes per game, and ages 13 and up. It was designed by Samantha R. Et Alia and Leslie Et Alia and its main mechanics are Area Majority / Influence, Tile Placement, and Modular Board.
(Note: The title changed to Rabbit Island in December 2016, thanks to lots of crowd input. Original title was Bunny Island.) In Short: Tile-laying modular board game; main mechanic is territorial control. In Full: You are a rabbit -- one of a wandering band of rabbits in search of a new land to call home. After many months at sea, you and your companions discover a beautiful, uninhabited island. Splitting up into your separate tribes (Blue, Red, Yellow, or Green), you will each set out from Founder's Hill to explore the island, discovering new areas to build up and plant carrots. It is up to you to lead your tribe into the unknown and develop the largest and most successful civilization on the island! While it looks cute at first, Rabbit Island reveals itself as a very competitive and multi-faceted game. The primary aim is territorial control, and there are several supporting mechanics that increase your strategic potential, including Action Cards and Harvest Groups. Each player starts out with a rabbit pawn, 100 Carrots in Carrot Tokens, and 25 Building Tokens. There are three phases to the game - Explore, Build, and scoring (Conquer!). The main goal of the game is to gain the most Victory Points by the end of 20 rounds of play (or 10, if playing a short game). During the Explore Phase, each player lays down the uniquely shaped Map Tiles to create the board and form the Pathway Arrows. Players also get the chance to build their first Camps (lowest building level) on the Territory Tiles. During the Build Phase, players now follow the Pathway Arrows around the Island until they reach the Rabbit Holes, which take them right back to Founder's Hill to start following the paths over again. They will Harvest new carrots from their established Territories, and continue to upgrade their buildings - from Camp to Village, and Village to Town - for more Victory Points! By upgrading an opponent's Territory, you can wrest away control to become the new Territory Owner! All players will receive Victory Points for each building level they establish, so build build build - but watch out for Earthquakes, Poor Harvests, and more, from the Action Card deck! Harvest Groups are two or more adjacent Territories owned by the same player; these areas equal big Harvests for their Owner. The Conquer Phase is the scoring phase, where players count the number of Victory Points each building level has netted them. There is one extra point awarded to the player with the most Carrot Tokens, and another point awarded to the player with the largest Harvest Group. Who will come out on top at the end? Conquer your opponents and feast with your tribe!
Rabbit Island: Explore, Build, Conquer 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 Rabbit Island: Explore, Build, Conquer is 45–120 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 Rabbit Island: Explore, Build, Conquer for ages 13 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.
Rabbit Island: Explore, Build, Conquer 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.
Rabbit Island: Explore, Build, Conquer belongs to these categories: Territory Building. Its main mechanics are Area Majority / Influence, Tile Placement, and Modular Board. 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 Rabbit Island: Explore, Build, Conquer are: Samantha R. Et Alia and Leslie Et Alia. 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 Rabbit Island: Explore, Build, Conquer 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.