
- BGG rank
- BGG #3,275
- BGG rating
- 7.4
Citizens of the Spark
- 1–5 players
- 45–60 min
- Complexity 2.3/5
- 2025

Rules assistance for Square Meal
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.
Square Meal is a board game released in 2020 for 1–8 players, 15 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by Philip duBarry and its main mechanics are Race, Pattern Building, and Solo / Solitaire Game.
Square Meal is a quick, puzzle-solving race for 2-8 players. In the game, you will flip, rotate, and overlap your three ingredients cards until they form the pattern on your challenge card. When you complete a challenge card, you'll add it to your score pile and immediately begin working on a new one. You'll lose a point each time you pass. To win, you'll need to form patterns quickly and have the most points when the deck runs out. The game also includes a solo variant. —description from the publisher
Square Meal supports 1–8 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 Square Meal is 15 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 Square Meal 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.
Square Meal has a complexity rating of 1.5 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.
Square Meal belongs to these categories: Puzzle and Real-time. Its main mechanics are Race, Pattern Building, and Solo / Solitaire Game. 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 Square Meal are: Philip duBarry. 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 Square Meal 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.