
- BGG rank
- BGG #26,292
- BGG rating
- 5.8
Hijara
- 2 players
- 40 min
- Complexity 1.4/5
- 1995

Rules assistance for Rhumb Line
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

For 2 players
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Rhumb Line is a board game released in 2003 for 2 players and 25 minutes per game. It was designed by Martin H. Samuel and its main mechanics are Tile Placement and Pattern Building.
Rhumb Line ... 2-player abstract strategy game of observation, placement (nuggets) and accumulation (points). Players take it in turns placing their nuggets, on the empty board, to form point-winning rhumb lines. 4 in a radius = 10 points … 4 in an arc = 20 points … 4 in a spiral = 30 points. The twist in the tail is - when players are down to their last nugget, they remove one of their own (once only) but may not place it from whence it came on their next turn ... so, look out! This 'end-play' avoids a foregone conclusion, is food for thought and opens up all sorts of scoring possibilities.
Rhumb Line supports 2 players according to the catalogue. This is the publisher’s listed player count, so the game is designed for exactly that number of participants. Variants for other group sizes, if any, are described in the rulebook of your edition, so check it before setting up a different configuration.
The listed playing time for Rhumb Line is 25 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.
Rhumb Line has a complexity rating of 1.1 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.
Rhumb Line belongs to these categories: Abstract Strategy. Its main mechanics are Tile Placement 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 Rhumb Line are: Martin H. Samuel. 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 Rhumb Line 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.