- BGG rating
- 8.4
Wander: The Cult of Barnacle Bay – Cola the Soda Bomber
- 1–5 players
- 45–120 min
- 2019
- BGG rank
- BGG #7,161
- BGG rating
- 7.8
Wander: The Cult of Barnacle Bay
2019
Rules assistance for Wander: The Cult of Barnacle Bay
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 1–5 players
- 45–120 min
- 12+
- Complexity 2.8/5
For 1 player
Rules assistant for Wander: The Cult of Barnacle Bay
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Wander: The Cult of Barnacle Bay is a board game released in 2019 for 1–5 players, 45–120 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Jonathan Phillips-Bradford and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Modular Board, and Cooperative Game.
Expansions
- BGG rating
- 8.5
Wander: The Cult of Barnacle Bay – Eileen the Assassin
- 1–5 players
- 45–120 min
- 2019
- BGG rating
- 8.1
Wander: The Cult of Barnacle Bay – High Tide Enemy Expansion
- 1–5 players
- 2019
- BGG rating
- 8.0
Wander: The Cult of Barnacle Bay – Jon and Liz Hero Pack
- 1–5 players
- 45–120 min
- 2019
- BGG rating
- 8.1
Wander: The Cult of Barnacle Bay – Kickstarter Bonus Box
- 1–5 players
- 45–120 min
- 2019
- BGG rating
- 8.5
Wander: The Cult of Barnacle Bay – Mary Fixit, Rayna, and Thalia Hero Pack
- 1–5 players
- 45–120 min
- 2019
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About the game
Wander: The Cult of Barnacle Bay is the first game in the Wander series. A fully cooperative, campaign-driven, miniatures board game, Wander: The Cult of Barnacle Bay tells the story of 5 heroes from the Wanderer's Guild, and their struggle to free the small fishing town of Barnacle Bay from the slimy claws of Elder Bane. Driven mad by power, and physically twisted from dark magic, Elder Bane has created a cult of mutated townsfolk that only desire to spread their message of madness to the rest of the world, bending it to their whim along the way. In Wander: The Cult of Barnacle Bay, players will select one of five unique heroes, outfit their hero with starting gear (represented by mini cards on a player dashboard), and join their friends to take back Barnacle Bay. Defeating foes and surviving random encounters earns players experience points and loot. Loot, like weapons and armor, is a persistent upgrade, staying with the heroes as they continue on their adventure. Experience points are used to level up heroes during their current adventure in the campaign. A dual-facing upgrade tree allows players to continually try new combinations of skills each adventure to determine what fits their play style, or current set of foes, best. Using a modular board, players assemble maps as indicated in the campaign book, then use action points to move or attack with their hero. All enemies in the game are controlled by a simple line of sight A.I., and automatically hit the players' heroes once they're able to. This means there is no player rolling for success for enemies' attacks. Heroes will, however, be able to roll for defense in an effort to prevent incoming wounds. One set of custom dice determines a hero's success for both defending and attacking. Random encounter cards, which are revealed when players enter an unexplored "darkness" space, also promise that no campaign adventure is ever be the same. —description from the publisher
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- Panda Cult Games LLC
Questions and answers
Wander: The Cult of Barnacle Bay supports 1–5 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 Wander: The Cult of Barnacle Bay is 45–120 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 Wander: The Cult of Barnacle Bay for ages 12 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.
Wander: The Cult of Barnacle Bay has a complexity rating of 2.8 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-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.
Wander: The Cult of Barnacle Bay belongs to these categories: Fantasy, Animals, and Adventure. Its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Modular Board, and Cooperative 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 Wander: The Cult of Barnacle Bay are: Jonathan Phillips-Bradford. 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 Wander: The Cult of Barnacle Bay 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.