
- BGG rank
- BGG #4,863
- BGG rating
- 6.3
Barbarossa
- 3–4 players
- 60 min
- Complexity 1.6/5
- 1988

2007
Rules assistance for Tintenherz
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.
Tintenherz is a board game released in 2007 for 2–6 players, 30–40 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Klaus Teuber and its main mechanics are Roll / Spin and Move, Dice Rolling, and Cooperative Game.
Together against the Shadow! To free the world of the feared Shadow and his sinister master Capricorn must the players find the proper words.This is done by answering various questions such as "Name a bird!" However, only letters visible on the board may be used in the answer. Everybody will immediately try to find a suitable word. When enough words have been found will Meggie, the heroine of the story, move towards goal; if not will Capricorn move forwards. Only if Meggie manage to reach goal first will the gamers win the game! The game is based upon the highly succesful children's book "Inkheart" by Cornelia Funke. The novel is about the power of the word, and game designer Klaus Teuber of "Settlers of Catan" fame have captured the enthralling and tantalizing atmosphere of the struggle of young Meggy and her father Moe on one side against the evil Capricorn and his henchmen on the other. Moe has the fantastic ability to read characters out of a story and into life. By this he brought Capricorn, the super-villain, into our world, who strifes to get all of his evil henchmen out of his book to help him with his bad deeds. But for this, he requires Moes services... The trilogy has captivated children all over the world, and a major movie was released in March 2008. So hopefully will we soon see an English language edition of this game. This is a game in the Kosmos line of literature-based games.
Tintenherz supports 2–6 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 Tintenherz is 30–40 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 Tintenherz for ages 10 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.
Tintenherz has a complexity rating of 1.6 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.
Tintenherz belongs to these categories: Fantasy, Word Game, and Novel-based. Its main mechanics are Roll / Spin and Move, Dice Rolling, and Cooperative Game. 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 Tintenherz are: Klaus Teuber. 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 Tintenherz 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.