
- BGG rating
- 9.0
Twilight Sparkle's Secret Shipfic Folder: Tales of Ponyville University
- 2–5 players
- 30 min
- 2015

2014
Rules assistance for Twilight Sparkle's Secret Shipfic Folder
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 2 players

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Twilight Sparkle's Secret Shipfic Folder is a board game released in 2014 for 2–5 players, 30 minutes per game, and ages 13 and up. It was designed by Caytlin Vilbrandt, Ryan Vilbrandt, and Allan Ecker and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Set Collection, and Pattern Building.
Set in the "My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic" universe, town librarian Twilight Sparkle secretly writes relationship (shortened to "ship") fan fiction about herself and everyone else. Nobody is safe from her overactive muse. TSSSF uses three decks of cards: Ponies, Ships and Goals. Players use Ship cards to pair different Ponies together on an expanding grid, earning VP for completing Goal cards for different combinations formed on the grid.
Twilight Sparkle's Secret Shipfic Folder supports 2–5 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 Twilight Sparkle's Secret Shipfic Folder 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 Twilight Sparkle's Secret Shipfic Folder for ages 13 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.
Twilight Sparkle's Secret Shipfic Folder 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.
Twilight Sparkle's Secret Shipfic Folder belongs to these categories: Fantasy, Humor, and Movies / TV / Radio theme. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Set Collection, and Pattern Building. 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 Twilight Sparkle's Secret Shipfic Folder are: Caytlin Vilbrandt, Ryan Vilbrandt, and Allan Ecker. 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 Twilight Sparkle's Secret Shipfic Folder 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.