—
rating
Ludopedia
5.0
rating
BGG
Our Verdict
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Great for trick-taking fans who love surprises! Perfect for 3-5 players seeking unpredictable fun.
Highlights
- Easy to learn, hard to master
- Guaranteed humor and chaos
- Excellent for casual groups
Keep in mind
- Luck plays a role
- Not for solo play
Rules manual not indexed yet
Upload the PDF rulebook to ask questions about this game with AI.
About the game
What you do in a play session
Those Pesky Garden Gnomes is a card game with a delightfully chaotic twist – and maybe more! It uses four suits with varying numbers of cards, each carrying positive or negative point values. The rules are similar to traditional trick-taking games: players must follow suit, and the highest card wins the trick. But here’s the fun part: each player has a secret, random objective every round, so no one knows what others are aiming for. Scoring is based on how close you get to your goal, with points accumulating over rounds. The game also adjusts options for players based on their standing – those trailing get more chances to catch up. After a set number of rounds, the player with the lowest score wins. The mix of luck, strategy, and ever-changing goals makes it unpredictable and entertaining, especially for card game fans who enjoy a dash of madness.
Gallery
Box and component photos
Tap any photo to open fullscreen. Photos submitted by the community or publisher.
Rules videos
Learn by watching before you open the box
Best player count
BGG community vote
3
REC
4
BEST
5
BEST
Soundtrack
Ambience suggested by Melodice
Loading playlist...
Where to Buy
Prices monitored daily
Finding best prices...
Prices unavailable at this time.
Price history — last 6 months (lowest new offer)
Alert enabled!
Join the BoardGamesBot deals group
Get the best board game deals every day — without message spam.
Join the WhatsApp groupGame details
Mechanics, categories, families and credits
Mechanics
Categories
Families
Publisher
Rio Grande Games
Designer
John Sams, JonMichael Rasmus, Sean Weitner
Community
Data from BoardGameGeek
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers before you buy
How many players can play?
3 to 5 players.
How long does a game take?
30 to 45 minutes, depending on rounds played.
Is it hard to learn?
Not at all! Rules are simple, but strategy and objectives change each time.
Do I need many components?
Just a deck and a scoring board – nothing fancy!
Who is it best for?
Perfect for fans of card games with humor and chaos.
Other Games You'll Like
Based on mechanics and theme