
- BGG rank
- BGG #21,436
- BGG rating
- 6.2
King's Life
- 4–8 players
- 20–30 min
- Complexity 2.0/5
- 2017

2010
Rules assistance for SmileyFace
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.
SmileyFace is a board game released in 2010 for 4–8 players, 30 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by Bruno Faidutti and Gwenaël Bouquin and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Take That, and Set Collection.
SmileyFace is a card game of face-to-face family fun for four to eight players. Over the seven short rounds of the game, each player tries to collect the highest total face value of cards of a single type. Each round brings new surprises as the values of cards change and the wacky Mischief cards come into play. Only the player with the highest score for a round (and perhaps the player who lent them a helping hand) will win points! "A King's Life": Intriguingly the designer reports that originally the game had a very different theme, being called "A King's Life" and concerned with a royal court and its attempts to cheer up a bored king. The retheme was recommended by the publisher.
SmileyFace supports 4–8 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 SmileyFace 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 SmileyFace 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.
SmileyFace has a complexity rating of 1.2 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.
SmileyFace belongs to these categories: Card Game. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Take That, and Set Collection. 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 SmileyFace are: Bruno Faidutti and Gwenaël Bouquin. 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 SmileyFace 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.