
- BGG rank
- BGG #5,627
- BGG rating
- 7.2
Moustache
- 3–6 players
- 20 min
- Complexity 1.4/5
- 2025

Rules assistance for Xylotar: Unhinged
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

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Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Xylotar: Unhinged is an expansion for Xylotar released in 2025 for 2–5 players and 30 minutes per game. It was designed by Christopher Wray and its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Hand Management, and Deduction.
Discover the epic conclusion to the tragic tale of 80s musician and polar bear, Bobby McColdsnap, as he resurfaces for one final return rock tour across the North Pole. "His music has been dubbed 'Arctic Wave' which stirs up nostalgic memories of an 80s mix tape fed through a Panasonic boombox with its bass turned all the way up to avalanche!" -J. Howard Jones, UnKut Magazine Xylotar Unhinged is the expansion to the 2024 trick taking deduction card game, Xylotar. Unhinged introduces two expansions, which can be added separately or combined together for all the epic 80s ballad feels. Bonus Beats: Add dynamic flair and a unique style to your playing with bonus beats. Bonus Beats gives each player unique power cards which can be played only once through the game, but can those power chords be enough to push your performance to the top? Off-Key Cards: The core of Arctic Wave is its unhinged style mixing nostalgic melodies with raw & rapid improvisation - an explosive cocktail of rage, angst, longing, and nothing but authentic emotion. Off-Key cards inject fluffy furry fuzziness into the deduction gameplay with half-valued cards keeping musicians on their toes... or paws... —description from the publisher
Xylotar: Unhinged 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 Xylotar: Unhinged 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.
Xylotar: Unhinged has a complexity rating of 2.0 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.
Xylotar: Unhinged belongs to these categories: Card Game, Deduction, and Music. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Hand Management, and Deduction. 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 Xylotar: Unhinged are: Christopher Wray. 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 Xylotar: Unhinged as an expansion for Xylotar. Expansions add new content, rules or scenarios to the base game and usually cannot be played on their own, so you need Xylotar to use it. Check that your edition of Xylotar is compatible, as some expansions were revised between editions.