
- BGG rank
- BGG #5,123
- BGG rating
- 7.2
Banish the Snakes: A Game of St. Patrick in Ireland
- 1–6 players
- 90–120 min
- Complexity 2.6/5
- 2023

2026
Rules assistance for The Great Hunger: Ireland's Tragedy in the 19th Century
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.
The Great Hunger: Ireland's Tragedy in the 19th Century is a board game released in 2026 for 2–5 players, 60–90 minutes per game, and ages 14 and up. It was designed by Kevin McPartland and Jerry Shiles and its main mechanics are Area Movement, Area Majority / Influence, and Interrupts.
The Great Hunger begins as a game that simulates good times in Ireland at the start of the 19th century, as the Irish population expanded - thanks to the potato. This new crop was a godsend, allowing people to raise enough food for a whole family on a small, rocky plot of land. They became dependent on the prolific tubers. But in 1845 the blight arrived, utterly destroying the potato harvest. Dependence on a single variety and growing on marginal land helped the blight; soon hunger and disease spread through the island. British economic policy discouraged assistance, fearing a collapse of farm prices and a population dependent on public welfare. But assistance did arrive, often from unexpected sources. Some people found work in new industries, or on the expanding English estates. Millions emigrated, booking passage on dangerous “coffin ships”, usually heading to America. The famine was a defining moment in the history of Ireland, as well as the USA and other countries. Today it is remembered by the Irish people as "an Gorta Mór" – The Great Hunger. Players represent families of tenant farmers and itinerant field hands. At first, your people will grow, using the events on the top half of your cards to help add more population cubes to the map. But then the blight arrives, and you use the events on the bottom half: finding aid or employment for your people, scrambling to the emigrant ship, or representing the spread of disease and English estates. The game ends when the "Blight Abates" card is drawn. The player with the most population wins. —description from the designer
The Great Hunger: Ireland's Tragedy in the 19th Century 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 The Great Hunger: Ireland's Tragedy in the 19th Century is 60–90 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 The Great Hunger: Ireland's Tragedy in the 19th Century for ages 14 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.
The Great Hunger: Ireland's Tragedy in the 19th Century has a complexity rating of 1.7 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.
The Great Hunger: Ireland's Tragedy in the 19th Century belongs to these categories: Political and Post-Napoleonic. Its main mechanics are Area Movement, Area Majority / Influence, and Interrupts. 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 The Great Hunger: Ireland's Tragedy in the 19th Century are: Kevin McPartland and Jerry Shiles. 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 The Great Hunger: Ireland's Tragedy in the 19th Century 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.