
- BGG rank
- BGG #17,335
- BGG rating
- 5.9
Gopher It!
- 2–4 players
- 10 min
- Complexity 1.1/5
- 1999

2012
Rules assistance for Wanzen tanzen
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.
Wanzen tanzen is a board game released in 2012 for 2–4 players, 30 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by Reinhard Staupe and its main mechanics are Push Your Luck and Dice Rolling.
In Wanzen Tanzen ("Dancing Bugs") you will not dance and the only bugs you'll encounter are made of cardboard. What you will find in the box is a dice-and-card game in which you're challenged to compete multiple tasks on a card in order to claim it for points. At the start of the game, shuffle the 28 task cards, then place fifteen of them face-down and remove the rest from the game. Place the five penalty cards (worth -1 to -5 points) in order with the -5 on the bottom. Give the starting player the five dice, then reveal the top task card. On a turn, the active player starts by rolling all the dice, then she has two choices: Set aside at least one die, then roll any remaining dice. Take one baby bug token and reroll all dice just rolled. After each roll, a player has these two options. She continues until either she sets aside all five dice or takes a fifth baby bug. (More on that below.) If the player has set aside all the dice and has completed one (or more) of the tasks on the card, she covers one task with a marker. If no tasks remain uncovered, she claims the task card, which is worth positive points, then the next player reveals the next task card and takes his turn. If at least one task remains uncovered, the player can either take another turn immediately or pass the dice to the next player. If the player has set aside all the dice without completing a task, she takes two baby bug tokens, and the next player takes a turn. As soon as a player has five or more baby bugs, that player claims the top penalty card and all players return all baby bugs to the supply. The game ends as soon as the last task card or the last penalty card has been claimed. Players sum their points, and the player with the highest score wins.
Wanzen tanzen 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 Wanzen tanzen 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 Wanzen tanzen for ages 8 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.
Wanzen tanzen has a complexity rating of 1.2 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.
Wanzen tanzen belongs to these categories: Card Game, Animals, and Children's Game. Its main mechanics are Push Your Luck and Dice Rolling. 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 Wanzen tanzen are: Reinhard Staupe. 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 Wanzen tanzen 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.