- BGG rank
- BGG #9,795
- BGG rating
- 6.1
7 Ate 9
- 2–4 players
- 5 min
- Complexity 1.1/5
- 2009
- BGG rank
- BGG #30,573
- BGG rating
- 5.1
Top Dogs
2005
Rules assistance for Top Dogs
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 3–5 players
- 20 min
- 8+
- Complexity 1.1/5
For 3 players
Rules assistant for Top Dogs
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Top Dogs is a board game released in 2005 for 3–5 players, 20 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by Maureen Hiron and its main mechanics are Hand Management.
Similar games
- BGG rank
- BGG #22,047
- BGG rating
- 6.1
Hochspannung
- 2–6 players
- 7–20 min
- Complexity 1.0/5
- 2016
- BGG rank
- BGG #20,843
- BGG rating
- 6.3
Tripolo
- 2–4 players
- Complexity 1.0/5
- 2011
- BGG rank
- BGG #24,362
- BGG rating
- 5.9
Catz, Ratz and Batz
- 2–6 players
- 30 min
- Complexity 1.2/5
- 2003
- BGG rank
- BGG #22,195
- BGG rating
- 5.7
Qwitch
- 2–8 players
- 10 min
- Complexity 1.1/5
- 2002
- BGG rank
- BGG #28,096
- BGG rating
- 5.1
Collide-O!
- 2–5 players
- 20 min
- Complexity 1.2/5
- 2004
- BGG rank
- BGG #28,132
- BGG rating
- 5.3
aBRIDGEd
- 4 players
- 40 min
- Complexity 1.6/5
- 2006
- BGG rank
- BGG #29,216
- BGG rating
- 5.2
StrataGem
- 2–4 players
- 20 min
- Complexity 1.7/5
- 2004
- BGG rank
- BGG #29,937
- BGG rating
- 5.2
Duo
- 2–6 players
- 20 min
- Complexity 1.7/5
- 1986
- BGG rank
- BGG #21,640
- BGG rating
- 6.3
Hexago Continuo
- 2–4 players
- 20 min
- Complexity 1.2/5
- 2006
- BGG rank
- BGG #23,817
- BGG rating
- 6.2
Brainwaves: The Wise Whale
- 1–4 players
- 15 min
- Complexity 1.0/5
- 2018
- BGG rank
- BGG #24,046
- BGG rating
- 5.8
Grabolo
- 3–5 players
- 20 min
- Complexity 1.4/5
- 2012
About the game
From the Playroom Entertainment website: "Mush! It's dog sledding time! Welcome to Alaska, where our team of dogs led by the Musher of your choice is ready to compete in the Iditarod. In Top Dogs, players must pick their best combinations of dogs to form the strongest team to compete for each race and win the trophies of different values. But, other players have the same dogs to choose from and the competition can become sneaky! As soon as each player has chosen their team, each set of dogs are evaluated for team strength and the trophy is awarded. So jump on your toboggan and choose wisely in this dog-eat-dog game of psyching out opponents."
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Peliko Oy
- Playroom Entertainment
- Offason
Questions and answers
Top Dogs supports 3–5 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 Top Dogs is 20 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 Top Dogs 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.
Top Dogs 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.
Top Dogs belongs to these categories: Card Game and Animals. Its main mechanics are Hand Management. 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 Top Dogs are: Maureen Hiron. 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 Top Dogs 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.