
- BGG rank
- BGG #27,669
- BGG rating
- 5.6
Cavemen Playing With Fire
- 2 players
- 30 min
- Complexity 1.7/5
- 2012

2012
Rules assistance for Rule the Roost
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.
Rule the Roost is a board game released in 2012 for 2–4 players, 15 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by Steffan Ros and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Area Majority / Influence, and Memory.
Life is a game! So rings the Odynaut motto. To survive, in other words, the Odynauts must keep winning! And now, they have descended on our planet looking for new games wherever they can find them. On a seemingly innocent and charming little farm, the Odynauts are witness to a high stakes strategic game in which hens are the coveted prize. The roosters seek to draw as many of them in as possible with their charms. A sly fox is sneaking around the coop for a delicious meal, while the farmer is on a mission to catch him in order to protect his precious little hens. The Odynauts, of course, see a highly entertaining game in all of this. Are you the biggest, baddest rooster? Or are you just the smartest one? Rule the Roost (a.k.a. Hennen Jennen) is a funny and nerve-racking farm-themed card game for two to four witty players of all ages. The goal is to become the leader Rooster of one or more barns and to collect as many chickens as possible for points. Throughout the game each player tries to obtain a majority in one or more of the three barns with her own rooster cards by placing these cards under the barn cards. For each barn in which a player has the majority of roosters at the end of the game, she receives one point for each of the chicken cards present. Players should try to have as many chickens as possible in the barns in which she dominates by either placing her own chicken cards there, or by banking on others doing so. But beware! Danger is lurking. Players can prevent an opponent from having the majority of roosters in a barn or collecting chickens in a barn by throwing eggs, playing fox cards or famer cards because foxes have chickens on the menu and the farmer is eager to move roosters from one barn to another.
Rule the Roost 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 Rule the Roost is 15 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 Rule the Roost for ages 8 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.
Rule the Roost 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.
Rule the Roost belongs to these categories: Card Game, Humor, and Animals. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Area Majority / Influence, and Memory. 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 Rule the Roost are: Steffan Ros. 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 Rule the Roost 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.