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- BGG rating
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Wild Life
1964
Rules assistance for Wild Life
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–5 players
- 90 min
- 10+
- Complexity 1.5/5
Rules assistant for Wild Life
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Wild Life is a board game released in 1964 for 2–5 players, 90 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Peter Ryhiner and its main mechanics are Set Collection and Roll / Spin and Move.
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About the game
Not to be confused with Ravensburger's famous Wildlife Adventure game, although there are some similarities. Both come in the same (very) large-box format, and in Wild Life, much as in Wildlife Adventure, players travel about a large world map seeking to visit the habitats of rare and exotic animals. With a box description reading "An ecology game that fosters wild animal conservation" and "The game of world-wide travel to search for, trade, and collect wild and rare animals to fill a winning zoo," Wild Life is primary a roll-and-move game where players circle a set map with various stops, at which they might collect Harbor, Transport, or "Serata" cards (which may help or hinder your progress similar to the cards in Monopoly) or collect, trade, and sell various animal cards in an attempt to collect the specific sets needed to fill the specific "zoo" each player chose at the beginning of the game. The first player to collect all the cards needed to fill their chosen zoo wins the game. Interestingly, although the game says it can support up to five players, if there is a fifth player that person actually only acts as the game's banker and does not actually participate in the game otherwise. The game is asymmetrical; each zoo has its own strengths and weaknesses and favour different strategies. Note that there are several different versions of the game with varying mechanics, some of which have much more strategy than others; see the community wiki for details.
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Waddingtons
- Alga
- Carlit
- Milton Bradley
- Otto Maier Verlag
- Spear's Games
- E. S. Lowe Company Inc.
- Educa Sallent SA
- Buchclub
Questions and answers
Wild Life 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 Wild Life is 90 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 Wild Life 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.
Wild Life has a complexity rating of 1.5 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.
Wild Life belongs to these categories: Animals, Exploration, and Adventure. Its main mechanics are Set Collection and Roll / Spin and Move. 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 Wild Life are: Peter Ryhiner. 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 Wild Life 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.