- BGG rank
- BGG #370
- BGG rating
- 7.4
Acquire
- 2–6 players
- 90 min
- Complexity 2.5/5
- 1963
- BGG rank
- BGG #20,599
- BGG rating
- 6.5
Sly
1975
Rules assistance for Sly
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 1–4 players
- 20 min
- 8+
- Complexity 2.3/5
Rules assistant for Sly
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Sly is a board game released in 1975 for 1–4 players, 20 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by Sid Sackson and its main mechanics are Pattern Building.
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About the game
Sly isn't a single game but six different ones, sharing board and pieces. The board is 12x12, divided in 16 fields of 3x3, with field centres specially marked. The pieces come in four colours and each set consists of a cylinder, four triangles and six squares. All games but Line up use the whole 12x12 grid as a playing area. Line Up only uses the center positions of the 16 3x3 fields to effectively yield a 4x4 grid of playing positions. Solitaire Sly is for 1 player and is a variation on the old puzzle of removing pieces by selected jumps. The game starts in 6x6 grid of pieces, but pieces can jump outside the 6x6 area using the whole 12x12 board if desired. Sniggle is a racing game for 2-4 players. Line Up is an alignment two-player game played on a 4x4 grid with each player having two squares, two triangles and one cyclinder of his color. Empire is an abstract two-four player wargame of sorts. Blockade (two players) is a distant relative of Hnefatafl; each player tries to have his king escape whilst blocking the other's with his guards. Gateway, finally, is a 2-4 player game where each tries to enter all his pieces by forming alignments with opposing pieces.
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Hexagames (I)
- Bütehorn Spiele (Buchholz Verlag)
- Amway
Questions and answers
Sly supports 1–4 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 Sly is 20 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 Sly 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.
Sly has a complexity rating of 2.3 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.
Sly belongs to these categories: Abstract Strategy and Game System. Its main mechanics are 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 Sly are: Sid Sackson. 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 Sly 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.