- BGG rank
- BGG #22,975
- BGG rating
- 5.7
My Haunted Castle
- 2–4 players
- 20 min
- Complexity 1.1/5
- 1989
- BGG rank
- BGG #27,576
- BGG rating
- 5.3
Turtle Shells
2009
Rules assistance for Turtle Shells
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–4 players
- 20 min
- Complexity 1.0/5
Rules assistant for Turtle Shells
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Turtle Shells is a board game released in 2009 for 2–4 players and 20 minutes per game. It was designed by Virginia Charves and its main mechanics are Memory.
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About the game
A very simple children's game. It consists of turtles and turtle shells in various colors. At your turn you draw a card, and if it matches any of the three turtles colors you get to keep that card and score a point. If not, you get to rearrange the turtle shells and thus create new combinations. Then the turn passes to the next in line. Slight variation for Turtle Shells: From publisher Place the 3 turtle shells on the turtles, it doesn't matter which turtle gets which color. It's fun to mix them up! Arrange the 27 picture cards face down on the table. Roll the color dice. If the colors rolled match the 2 colors of a turtle and its shell, you get to choose a card. With any luck the card will match one of the 3 turtles. If not, place the card face down again. It's the next player's turn. As cards are revealed, players are challenged to remember them. The player who claims the most matching cards wins the game!
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Kod Kod
- Piatnik
- Paul Lamond Games Ltd
- Swan Panasia Co., Ltd.
- Kärnan
- 999 Games
Questions and answers
Turtle Shells 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 Turtle Shells 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.
Turtle Shells has a complexity rating of 1.0 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.
Turtle Shells belongs to these categories: Animals, Children's Game, and Memory. Its main mechanics are Memory. 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 Turtle Shells are: Virginia Charves. 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 Turtle Shells 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.