- BGG rank
- BGG #24,656
- BGG rating
- 6.0
Greece Lightning
- 2–4 players
- 45–60 min
- Complexity 1.3/5
- 2021
- BGG rank
- BGG #23,060
- BGG rating
- 5.7
Spin Monkeys
2012
Rules assistance for Spin Monkeys
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–8 players
- 45 min
- 13+
- Complexity 1.6/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Spin Monkeys
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Spin Monkeys is a board game released in 2012 for 2–8 players, 45 minutes per game, and ages 13 and up. It was designed by Mark Sellmeyer and its main mechanics are Hand Management and Action Queue.
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About the game
In Spin Monkeys, one of four winners in Rio Grande Games' 2009 game design competition, you are a monkey in the jungle when one day a wayward carnival makes a stop. You and your fellow monkeys jump in the bumper cars and away you go. You have no idea why there is fruit all over the arena floor, but you aim to grab as much of it for yourself as possible! Game synopsis: Spin Monkeys has each player starting on a junction at the edge of the board with a hand of 5 cards. The cards have 8 possible degrees of rotation from 45 to a full 360 degrees. On each turn players choose a card, rotate their monkey clockwise to the degree, then move one junction per played card in front of them. On the first turn you only go one junction, but as the game goes you can travel more junctions as you play more cards, picking up all the fruit you glide over, apples, oranges and bananas, leaving peels. Some cards have text that let you do special actions, like taking more fruit, or rotating during your movement. As you go faster, traveling more junctions per turn, it becomes harder to avoid running into the sides of the board or other monkeys. When you bump into the side of the board you lose cards, slowing you down. If you crash into another monkey you get to spin them, and steal a piece of fruit. After you play your hand, you get 5 new cards to direct your monkey with. Game goes until only one kind of fruit is left on the board. Most points in fruit wins!
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Rio Grande Games
Questions and answers
Spin Monkeys supports 2–8 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 Spin Monkeys is 45 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 Spin Monkeys for ages 13 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.
Spin Monkeys has a complexity rating of 1.6 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.
Spin Monkeys belongs to these categories: Animals. Its main mechanics are Hand Management and Action Queue. 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 Spin Monkeys are: Mark Sellmeyer. 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 Spin Monkeys 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.