- BGG rank
- BGG #1,827
- BGG rating
- 6.9
Odin
- 2–6 players
- 15 min
- Complexity 1.2/5
- 2024
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- BGG #1,370
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Tales & Games: The Hare & the Tortoise
2011
Rules assistance for Tales & Games: The Hare & the Tortoise
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–5 players
- 15–20 min
- 7+
- Complexity 1.4/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Tales & Games: The Hare & the Tortoise
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Tales & Games: The Hare & the Tortoise is a board game released in 2011 for 2–5 players, 15–20 minutes per game, and ages 7 and up. It was designed by Gary Kim and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Race, and Betting and Bluffing.
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About the game
The Hare & the Tortoise, originally published as Royal Turtle, is a card-driven betting game about animal racing loosely based on one of Aesop's Fables. At the start of a race, each player secretly bets on up to two of five animals: turtle, rabbit, lamb, wolf and fox. One animal is chosen at random for each player, then after receiving a hand of seven cards, each player places one of his cards face-down (possibly the same animal) as an additional bet. Players then take turns laying down 1-4 cards, with all cards needing to show the same animal, then refilling the hand to five cards. As soon as eight total cards have been played or four cards of any one animal, the animals move (maybe). Each animal has a distinct characteristic that players can use to their advantage. The turtle always moves one space, but it moves two if four of its cards were played. The rabbit always moves two spaces as long as cards are played. — unless four cards are played and it's at the head of the pack, in which case it sleeps and doesn't move. The fox moves as many spaces as the number of cards played. The lamb moves one more space than the number of cards played — but if it reaches water, it stops moving to take a drink. The wolf moves 1 space if one to two cards are played, and one less space than the number of cards if more are played. The wolf also has 3 cards with a howl, if one of these is played no one but the wolf moves.(The track consists of eleven road cards, two covered with water.) After the animals move, players start a new round of card-playing. A round ends when three of the five animals reach the goal, after which each player scores points based on the ranking of the animals and how they bet. After three rounds, the player with the most points wins.
Designers
Publishers
- Kaissa Chess & Games
- asmodee
- GoKids 玩樂小子
- Korea Boardgames
- Albi
- Portal Games
- HomoLudicus
- Asterion Press
- Lex Games
- IELLO
- 2 Pionki
- Funbox Editora
- Purple Brain Creations
- Piece Craft
Questions and answers
Tales & Games: The Hare & the Tortoise 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 Tales & Games: The Hare & the Tortoise is 15–20 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 Tales & Games: The Hare & the Tortoise for ages 7 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.
Tales & Games: The Hare & the Tortoise has a complexity rating of 1.4 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.
Tales & Games: The Hare & the Tortoise belongs to these categories: Card Game, Animals, and Children's Game. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Race, and Betting and Bluffing. 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 Tales & Games: The Hare & the Tortoise are: Gary Kim. 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 Tales & Games: The Hare & the Tortoise 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.