- BGG rank
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- BGG rating
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Gardeners
- 1–4 players
- 15 min
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Tribulation
1974
Rules assistance for Tribulation
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 1–6 players
- 30 min
- 10+
- Complexity 1.5/5
For 1 player
Rules assistant for Tribulation
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Tribulation is a board game released in 1974 for 1–6 players, 30 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Heinz Wittenberg and its main mechanics are Square Grid, Real-Time, and Score-and-Reset Game.
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About the game
In Tribulation, number tiles are laid out in a 7 x 7 grid, similarly to Boggle. Each tile has a number from 1 to 9 on it (the 9 tile is also used as a 6 in some editions). Number disks from 1-50 are shuffled, and one is drawn. Players race to find three tiles whose equation (first times second, plus or minus third, or any other combination of two tiles multiplied and the other added or subtracted) adds to that total. The first to do so wins the disk. Whomever has the most disks when they are all claimed wins the game. Nominally the game is for 1-6 players, although the upper bound is arbitrary and the rules say nothing about how the game might be played solo. Possible solo challenges involve seeing how many tokens you can claim in a set time (e.g. 10 minutes total) or how many tokens you can claim racing against a countdown timer (e.g. 5-10 seconds per token).
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- Otto Maier Verlag
- Spear's Games
- Murfett
- Joker
- Ravensburger AG
- Whitman
- Western Publishing Company
- Éveil & Jeux
Questions and answers
Tribulation supports 1–6 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 Tribulation 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 Tribulation 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.
Tribulation has a complexity rating of 1.5 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.
Tribulation belongs to these categories: Number, Real-time, and Educational. Its main mechanics are Square Grid, Real-Time, and Score-and-Reset 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 Tribulation are: Heinz Wittenberg. 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 Tribulation 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.