
- BGG rank
- BGG #2,869
- BGG rating
- 7.0
Ceylon
- 2–4 players
- 60 min
- Complexity 2.4/5
- 2018

2013
Rules assistance for Tessen
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 2 players

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Tessen is a board game released in 2013 for 2 players, 15 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Chris Zinsli and Suzanne Zinsli and its main mechanics are Hand Management and Set Collection.
Tessen is a card game featuring simultaneous real time play. Players take animal cards from their decks and play them in up to five groups in front of them. Players may save sets of three or more, but beware! The opponent may use a warrior card to "attack" forcing the player to give up the attacked animal cards. The attacking player may then take the cards for his own. Also, warriors may be used to "defend" and nullify an opponent's warrior. Tessen is easy to learn, plays in minutes, and is great fun for both the casual and serious gamer.
Tessen supports 2 players according to the catalogue. This is the publisher’s listed player count, so the game is designed for exactly that number of participants. Variants for other group sizes, if any, are described in the rulebook of your edition, so check it before setting up a different configuration.
The listed playing time for Tessen 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 Tessen for ages 12 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.
Tessen 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.
Tessen belongs to these categories: Card Game, Animals, and Real-time. Its main mechanics are Hand Management 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 Tessen are: Chris Zinsli and Suzanne Zinsli. 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 Tessen 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.