- BGG rank
- BGG #9,177
- BGG rating
- 6.2
Master Fox
- 2–4 players
- 20 min
- Complexity 1.1/5
- 2015
- BGG rank
- BGG #5,951
- BGG rating
- 7.0
Vivarium
2022
Rules assistance for Vivarium
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–4 players
- 30 min
- 10+
- Complexity 1.9/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Vivarium
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Vivarium is a board game released in 2022 for 2–4 players, 30 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Frédéric Vuagnat and its main mechanics are Set Collection, Open Drafting, and Contracts.
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About the game
1898, Siberia, the seismologist Edgar Vuntaf discovers a continent free of any human presence, sheltering a teeming life, in forms never encountered before! Unknown plants, colossal creatures... Faced with this shocking discovery, the world's scientific elite, gathered in Paris for the Universal exposition, create the Vivarium Syndicate, and decide to send explorers into this new continent An efficient and tense card collection game, with a great artistic direction! Each turn players use dominoes to create coordinates that allow them to build their card collection. After 7 rounds, the player that has successfully completed their objectives and collected the greatest creatures wins the game. Cards are placed on the board. Each turn, players use pairs of dominoes to create coordinates and grab the corresponding card on the board. Among this grid of cards: fantastic creatures divided according to their species and biotopes, scientific objectives but also various equipment cards to facilitate the taking of future cards. After 7 rounds, the player that has successfully completed their objectives and collected the greatest creatures wins the game. —description from the publisher
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Arclight Games
- Evrikus
- Studio H
Questions and answers
Vivarium 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 Vivarium 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 Vivarium 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.
Vivarium has a complexity rating of 1.9 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.
Vivarium belongs to these categories: Card Game and Animals. Its main mechanics are Set Collection, Open Drafting, and Contracts. 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 Vivarium are: Frédéric Vuagnat. 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 Vivarium 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.