
- BGG rank
- BGG #27,239
- BGG rating
- 5.8
Disney Club Penguin Trading Card Game
- 2 players
- 10 min
- Complexity 1.0/5
- 2008

2016
Rules assistance for Sangoku
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.
Sangoku is a board game released in 2016 for 2–5 players, 30 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Mike Elliott and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Set Collection, and Player Elimination.
In a mythic oriental universe, great powers battle for control of Three Realms: The Heavens, The Earth and The Hells. Sangoku (meaning "three realms") is an elegant and thematic card game by renowned designer Mike Elliott. In the game, players recruit warriors – Dogs, Samurais, Oni and Dragons – to their armies by playing poker hands to each of the Three Realms. The best hand in each realm wins, and a Warrior is summoned from the winning cards – but the weakest cards also summon the most powerful Warriors, with the 2 card in each suit (Fire, Metal, Earth, Water, Wood) summoning a mighty Dragon. With these recruited Warrior tokens, players advance on their opponents to gain ascendancy in the Realms. They can also wager and collect Legend cards, which when combined into sets can be used to powerful effect, including bringing forth uniquely damaging Warriors.
Sangoku 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 Sangoku is 30 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 Sangoku for ages 10 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.
Sangoku has a complexity rating of 1.7 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.
Sangoku belongs to these categories: Card Game, Fantasy, and Mythology. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Set Collection, and Player Elimination. 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 Sangoku are: Mike Elliott. 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 Sangoku 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.