- BGG rank
- BGG #224
- BGG rating
- 7.5
Modern Art
- 3–5 players
- 45 min
- Complexity 2.3/5
- 1992
- BGG rank
- BGG #26,316
- BGG rating
- 5.6
Too Many Cooks
2001
Rules assistance for Too Many Cooks
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–5 players
- 90 min
- 12+
- Complexity 1.3/5
Rules assistant for Too Many Cooks
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Too Many Cooks is a board game released in 2001 for 2–5 players, 90 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Andy Merritt and its main mechanics are Auction / Bidding.
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About the game
Players represent cooks attempting to gather the necessary ingredients to cook a variety of meals. There are a variety of ethnic dishes represented (English, Chinese, Italian, French or Indian), a few of which are also vegetarian. Players get bonuses for specializing in a certain ethnic cuisine and must be mindful to prepare at least one vegetarian dish lest they be penalized by the growing veggie-lover contingent. A number of recipes are played face-up to the table (onto a well designed board), with each recipe listing the ingredients it requires. Players begin the game with only one ingredient and must acquire new ingredients either through auction (the most common method) or random draw (costly and a crap-shoot). When a player acquires new ingredients, whether it is on his turn or not, he immediately has the opportunity to prepare one of the dishes depicted on the face-up recipe cards. If he can supply all of the necessary ingredients, he takes the corresponding recipe card and acquires money (beans ... actual beans!) to increase his coffers. Players may also cook recipes which were previously cooked by other players, but they only receive a portion of the monetary amount the original cook received.
Editions
- Too Many Cooksen(Self-Published)2001
Questions and answers
Too Many Cooks 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 Too Many Cooks is 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 Too Many Cooks 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.
Too Many Cooks 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.
Too Many Cooks belongs to these categories: Card Game. Its main mechanics are Auction / Bidding. 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 Too Many Cooks are: Andy Merritt. 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 Too Many Cooks 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.