
- BGG rank
- BGG #17,652
- BGG rating
- 6.5
Tanuki
- 3–6 players
- 20 min
- Complexity 1.3/5
- 2024

2026
Rules assistance for Sauros
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Sauros is a board game released in 2026 for 2–5 players, 30–60 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Cole Smith and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Tile Placement, and Trick-taking.
Sauros is a dinosaur themed trick-taking, puzzle game where players win tiles to then place on their player mats to align suits and symbols for dynamic scoring. The twist is the trump suit changes with each trick! Featuring five asymmetric player mats and unique scoring conditions, each mat representing one of the five dinosaurs present in Sauros. The game is played in a series of rounds. At the end of each round, the player mats are rotated. Once each player has played each mat, the points from all rounds are tallied and the player with the highest score wins. —description from the publisher
Sauros 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 Sauros is 30–60 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 Sauros 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.
Sauros has a complexity rating of 2.0 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-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.
Sauros belongs to these categories: Card Game, Abstract Strategy, and Puzzle. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Tile Placement, and Trick-taking. 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 Sauros are: Cole Smith. 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 Sauros 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.