- BGG rating
- 6.3
You've Got Crabs: Imitation Crab Expansion Kit
- 4–10 players
- 15–20 min
- Complexity 1.0/5
- 2018
- BGG rank
- BGG #9,123
- BGG rating
- 5.9
You've Got Crabs
2018
Rules assistance for You've Got Crabs
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 4–10 players
- 15–20 min
- 7+
- Complexity 1.2/5
Rules assistant for You've Got Crabs
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
You've Got Crabs is a board game released in 2018 for 4–10 players, 15–20 minutes per game, and ages 7 and up. It was designed by Matthew Inman and Elan Lee and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Take That, and Set Collection.
Expansions
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About the game
Form teams of two players each (max of 5 teams). Each team meets privately to come up with a non vocal signal to indicate when either teammate collects 4 of the same Crab Card. Each player will get a hand of 4 cards. One side plays at a time. On a side’s turn, all players on that side can simultaneously swap any card from their hand with a card from the middle of the table (The Ocean). When you have 4 of the same Crab Card, you can't say anything out loud. Instead, when you’re ready, give your secret signal to your teammate. When they notice, they will point at you and shout, 'YOU’VE GOT CRABS!' If they’re right, your team gets a point. If they’re wrong, your team loses a point. However if a player on another team suspects you’re passing a signal, they can point and shout, 'YOU’VE GOT CRABS!' If they are correct, they steal one of your points. If they are incorrect, steal a Crab Token from the accusing player. The game is over when the last Crab Token has been taken from the Crab Pot. At that point, all teams should count up their combined Crab Tokens. The team with the most Crab Tokens wins. The game is a reimplementation of the classic card game Kemps, but with a different card distribution and breaking up the card swap phase by team.
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- Hobby World
- Ad Magic, Inc. (AdMagic Games)
- Exploding Kittens
Questions and answers
You've Got Crabs supports 4–10 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 You've Got Crabs is 15–20 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 You've Got Crabs for ages 7 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.
You've Got Crabs 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.
You've Got Crabs belongs to these categories: Card Game, Humor, and Animals. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Take That, and Set Collection. 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 You've Got Crabs are: Matthew Inman and Elan Lee. 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 You've Got Crabs 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.