
- BGG rank
- BGG #5,292
- BGG rating
- 6.4
Mahé
- 2–7 players
- 20 min
- Complexity 1.2/5
- 1974

2001
Rules assistance for The Piggyback Brigade
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.
The Piggyback Brigade is a board game released in 2001 for 2–7 players, 15–25 minutes per game, and ages 4 and up. It was designed by Alex Randolph and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling.
The merry trunk gang consists of seven multicolored piglets, who love nothing more than running through the meadows - on roads, which are so narrow that they cannot pass the other pigs - except, if they stand on top of one another! Naturally, they know how to do this, as they are not normal piglets, but genuine circus piglets! And even if they do not run a race, they gladly demonstrate acrobatic exercises or set up themselves in marvelous pyramids. After the board has been constructed, players' take turns rolling a special die numbering 1-4 and moves his pig based on the number he rolled. If a black number is rolled the player may get to take another turn. If you land on the same space as another pig you now move with the bottom piglets piggyback style. Once a player makes it to the end of the track is declared the winner. Ages 4 and up.
The Piggyback Brigade supports 2–7 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 Piggyback Brigade is 15–25 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 Piggyback Brigade for ages 4 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 Piggyback Brigade has a complexity rating of 1.1 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 Piggyback Brigade belongs to these categories: Children's Game, Dice, and Action / Dexterity. Its main mechanics are Dice Rolling. 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 Piggyback Brigade are: Alex Randolph. 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 Piggyback Brigade 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.