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- BGG #100
- BGG rating
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El Grande
- 2–5 players
- 60–120 min
- Complexity 2.9/5
- 1995
- BGG rank
- BGG #28,389
- BGG rating
- 5.3
Top & Down
2011
Rules assistance for Top & Down
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–4 players
- 30 min
- 8+
- Complexity 1.3/5
Rules assistant for Top & Down
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Top & Down is a board game released in 2011 for 2–4 players, 30 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by Richard Ulrich and Nils Ulrich and its main mechanics are Roll / Spin and Move.
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About the game
At first glance Top & Down appears to be a race game, but the winner will actually be the player who collects the most points while moving pieces over the raised and lowered sections of track. Each turn, a player rolls a die and moves one of his pieces forward on the track exactly that number of spaces; if any pieces rest on top of this chosen piece, whether his or an opponent's, those pieces are moved as well. If the moved piece (or stack of pieces) would land on an occupied space, it covers any pieces located there. Whenever the first piece of a color is moved over a scoring gate – of which there are four on the track – all towers are scored. If a multi-colored tower is on a raised section of the track, the player who owns the top piece earns as many points as the number of pieces in the stack; if such a tower is on the ground, the owner of the bottom piece scores points instead. Each turn before moving, a player can spend a point to move one of his pieces to the top or bottom of a stack. The game ends once three pieces enter the scoring area at the end of the track – earning 2-4 points in the proces – and whoever has collected the most points wins. Part of the Schmidt Spiele Easy Play line.
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Schmidt Spiele
Questions and answers
Top & Down 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 Top & Down is 30 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 & Down 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 & Down 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.
Top & Down belongs to these categories: Abstract Strategy. Its main mechanics are Roll / Spin and Move. 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 & Down are: Richard Ulrich and Nils Ulrich. 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 & Down 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.