- BGG rank
- BGG #15,546
- BGG rating
- 6.4
Reglamentacja: Gra na Kartki
- 3–5 players
- 30 min
- Complexity 1.5/5
- 2014
- BGG rank
- BGG #24,910
- BGG rating
- 5.6
Zaubercocktail
2001
Rules assistance for Zaubercocktail
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 4–7 players
- 30 min
- 8+
- Complexity 1.6/5
Rules assistant for Zaubercocktail
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Zaubercocktail is a board game released in 2001 for 4–7 players, 30 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by Arnd Beenen and its main mechanics are Set Collection and Trading.
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About the game
Players are wizards collecting sets of ingredients each round. The best collection each round earns points to move the player forward. When the Magic Lightning card is turned up, the game ends and the highest score wins. Shuffles the ingredients and deal 10 to each player. In further rounds, each player will receive 5 additional cards. Once players have sorted their cards, the dealer turns up the top recipe card. This will show how many points the best collections receive this round. Immediately, the chaos of the round begins: Players simultaneously try to trade ingredients to make sets. Players must trade honestly. Examples: "I want 3 Blue Schlumse and offer a Faranblatt!" "I have a Weissbeere, but need a Silbergrass for it." "I'll sell my soul for a gold rose. What do you want?" (Most of the cards are different colors so actually English speakers need not employ the foreign words.)
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- KOSMOS
Questions and answers
Zaubercocktail supports 4–7 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 Zaubercocktail 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 Zaubercocktail 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.
Zaubercocktail has a complexity rating of 1.6 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.
Zaubercocktail belongs to these categories: Card Game, Fantasy, and Real-time. Its main mechanics are Set Collection and Trading. 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 Zaubercocktail are: Arnd Beenen. 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 Zaubercocktail 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.