
- BGG rank
- BGG #3,090
- BGG rating
- 6.5
What the Heck?
- 2–5 players
- 20 min
- Complexity 1.2/5
- 1988
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2024
Rules assistance for Survive The Serengeti
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 2 players
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What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Survive The Serengeti is a board game released in 2024 for 2–5 players, 10–15 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by Tom Cox and its main mechanics are Simultaneous Action Selection and Auction: Sealed Bid.
In Survive The Serengeti, players compete to guide their wildebeest safely to the other side of a savannah filled with hungry predators. A card game for 2-5 players, each player starts with an identical hand of wildebeest numbered 1-12. Each turn a predator is revealed that will force a player to discard a card if they are the unlucky player who guesses incorrectly. All players choose, then simultaneously reveal one of their wildebeest, hoping not to be lunch. This is a "play the players" type of game, full of double-think, bluffing, and reading your opponent. —description from the designer
Survive The Serengeti 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 Survive The Serengeti is 10–15 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 Survive The Serengeti 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.
Survive The Serengeti has a complexity rating of 1.3 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.
Survive The Serengeti belongs to these categories: Card Game, Animals, and Party Game. Its main mechanics are Simultaneous Action Selection and Auction: Sealed Bid. 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 Survive The Serengeti are: Tom Cox. 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 Survive The Serengeti 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.