- BGG rank
- BGG #4,099
- BGG rating
- 6.9
Prehistories
- 2–5 players
- 30 min
- Complexity 1.9/5
- 2020
- BGG rank
- BGG #22,735
- BGG rating
- 6.2
Rainbow 7
2022
Rules assistance for Rainbow 7
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–5 players
- 20 min
- 7+
- Complexity 1.0/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Rainbow 7
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Rainbow 7 is a board game released in 2022 for 2–5 players, 20 minutes per game, and ages 7 and up. It was designed by Alexandre Emerit and Antoine Davrou and its main mechanics are Hand Management.
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About the game
In Rainbow 7, you discard one or more cards from your hand each turn, but they keep coming back... The deck in this game consists of 49 cards in seven colors from 1-7, as well as four rainbow cards valued at X. Each player starts with a hand of six random cards from 1-6 and one random 7. On a turn, you discard a single card or a group of three or more cards that are either the same number or color; if you discard a 7 as part of a group, you carry out the special effect of the card, such as discarding a rain token or forcing everyone else to draw a card. Place played cards on the three discard piles as you wish, then draw one card from the top of a discard pile or the deck and add it to your hand. Alternatively, if the sum of cards in your hand is at most 7, you can call "Rainbow [sum]", e.g. "Rainbow 3". If no one else has a lower score than you, you win the round, and everyone else gains two rain tokens; if someone is lower, you gains three rain tokens, and no one else gains tokens. Finally, if on a turn you play out the remaining cards in your hand, the round ends, and everyone else gains one rain token. If a player has at least seven rain tokens, the game ends, and whoever has the fewest rain tokens wins. If not, start another round...
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Ghost Dog
Questions and answers
Rainbow 7 supports 2–5 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 Rainbow 7 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 Rainbow 7 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.
Rainbow 7 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.
Rainbow 7 belongs to these categories: Card Game, Number, and Bluffing. Its main mechanics are Hand Management. 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 Rainbow 7 are: Alexandre Emerit and Antoine Davrou. 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 Rainbow 7 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.