- BGG rank
- BGG #6,365
- BGG rating
- 6.6
Herrlof
- 2–3 players
- 30–45 min
- Complexity 1.4/5
- 2020
- BGG rank
- BGG #27,447
- BGG rating
- 5.5
Tricky Badger
2023
Rules assistance for Tricky Badger
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 3–5 players
- 25–45 min
- 10+
- Complexity 1.7/5
Rules assistant for Tricky Badger
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Tricky Badger is a board game released in 2023 for 3–5 players, 25–45 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Alexander Kneepkens and its main mechanics are Set Collection and Trick-taking.
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About the game
Deep in the European forests you can still find the endangered wild European hamster. You have been hired to conserve these hamsters and keep them safe from their natural predator: the badger. Tricky Badger is a set-collection, trick-taking card game. The game lasts five rounds, and each player starts the round with a hand of nine cards, with pink always being trump. Ten collection cards are placed face up from the deck. At the start of each trick, the active player (a position that rotates) chooses a collection card that the winner of the trick will add to their collection; each collection card has an arrow to indicate whether the highest or lowest card in the trick will win. The active player leads a card, and players must follow this color, if possible. Some cards trample others, and a trampled card is removed from consideration in the trick. If a trump is played in the trick, then the highest or lowest non-trampled trump wins the trick; otherwise the highest or lowest non-trampled card of the suit led wins the trick. After nine tricks, the round ends. Discard the remaining collection card, deal out nine cards to each player, and lay out ten new collection cards. After five rounds, players score points for their collection cards, which can be independent or connected to other cards. Every female hamster and every male hamster is worth 1 point, for example, but a female and male hamster that are connected are worth 3 points. Get a second male hamster, however, and they fight, eliminating all of your hamsters. Similarly, a 3-point badger in your collection will eat all hamsters present unless you connect it with a bone to slake its hunger. You can feed wheat and weevils to hamsters to earn bonus points, but weevils on their own will eat your wheat. Magpies can steal cards from opponents, but cages and buckets can protect your animals from theft. Whoever ends up with the most points wins.
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Jolly Dutch Productions
Questions and answers
Tricky Badger 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 Tricky Badger is 25–45 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 Tricky Badger 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.
Tricky Badger has a complexity rating of 1.7 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.
Tricky Badger belongs to these categories: Card Game and Animals. Its main mechanics are Set Collection and Trick-taking. 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 Tricky Badger are: Alexander Kneepkens. 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 Tricky Badger 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.