- BGG rank
- BGG #3,746
- BGG rating
- 6.5
1st & Goal
- 2–4 players
- 120–150 min
- Complexity 1.8/5
- 2011
- BGG rank
- BGG #4,624
- BGG rating
- 6.5
Rattlebones
2014
Rules assistance for Rattlebones
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–4 players
- 40–90 min
- 14+
- Complexity 1.6/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Rattlebones
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Rattlebones is a board game released in 2014 for 2–4 players, 40–90 minutes per game, and ages 14 and up. It was designed by Stephen Glenn and its main mechanics are Roll / Spin and Move, Dice Rolling, and Modular Board.
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About the game
"Welcome, girls and boys. My name is Rattlebones, and you have been cordially invited to spend the day at my Fabulous Festival of Dice! Play games! Win prizes! Ride the train! I'll be wandering about the park, and if you're the first one to find me, you win! Won't that be delightful?" Rattlebones is a game about transforming dice. You start with standard six-sided dice, and throughout the course of the game you can remove sides and replace them with other sides that let you do all sorts of wonderful things. Every time you score points, you get closer to finding Rattlebones and, er, winning the game. Yes, winning! It's an experience to six-sided-die for! Game Summary Setup - Place the Rattlebones meeple at 55, 60, or 65 VP space (for 2-4 players). Players each get 3 d6 (black, white, gray) -- basic d6 but the '1' is replaced by Rattlebones. - Place random tiles on the empty spaces on the board. Your Turn Roll a die. May spend 1-2 gold to roll an extra 1-2 dice. Then, use each die one at a time: - if Rattlebones shows, move Rattlebones back one space; game ends immediately if it hits a player score marker and most points wins. - if pips or Rattlebones showing, move one of your pawns clockwise that many spaces (RB=1) and use the space you land on. Typically, you may add a die face matching that space to the die you used (replace any face except Rattlebones). - otherwise, take whatever action the face allows (e.g., earn a stock marker or star token, which you may later turn in for VP; earn VP; steal stuff from other people; etc.).
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- Rio Grande Games
Questions and answers
Rattlebones 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 Rattlebones is 40–90 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 Rattlebones for ages 14 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.
Rattlebones has a complexity rating of 1.6 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.
Rattlebones belongs to these categories: Dice. Its main mechanics are Roll / Spin and Move, Dice Rolling, 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 Rattlebones are: Stephen Glenn. 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 Rattlebones 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.