- BGG rank
- BGG #31,399
- BGG rating
- 4.9
Pay Day
- 2–6 players
- 30 min
- Complexity 1.2/5
- 1974
- BGG rank
- BGG #13,220
- BGG rating
- 5.9
This Game is Bonkers!
1978
Rules assistance for This Game is Bonkers!
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–4 players
- 10 min
- 8+
- Complexity 1.3/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for This Game is Bonkers!
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
This Game is Bonkers! is a board game released in 1978 for 2–4 players, 10 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by Paul J. Gruen and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Roll / Spin and Move, and Dice Rolling.
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About the game
A quirky and wild game of racing to twelve points. Players roll dice to move their pawn along a linear track and then play "track cards" where they land to add new instructions to each space moving them further forwards or backwards. These cards stay on the track, where everyone else will also follow those same instructions and add their own cards to the chain reaction.
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- Parker Brothers
- Hasbro
- Winning Moves Games (USA)
- Waddingtons
- Estrela
- Clipper
- Borras Plana S.A.
- MB Juegos
- Milton Bradley
- MB Spiele
Questions and answers
This Game is Bonkers! supports 2–4 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 This Game is Bonkers! is 10 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 This Game is Bonkers! 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.
This Game is Bonkers! 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.
This Game is Bonkers! belongs to these categories: Children's Game. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Roll / Spin and Move, and 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 This Game is Bonkers! are: Paul J. Gruen. 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 This Game is Bonkers! 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.