13 Animals

About this board game

13 Animals is a card game for 2–5 players, with games lasting about 30 minutes. Across three rounds, players collect colorful mammals, birds, and legendary creatures while working toward valuable scoring sets.

Each player begins with ten cards. Three face-up cards start separate discard piles, and the remaining deck is divided into two piles. On your turn, draw from the top of a discard pile or either deck, then discard one card.

Cards show five types of mammals, three types of birds, and five types of legendary creatures. Their colors appear on both the front and back, using green, blue, and yellow. Each card also depicts one or more possible scoring sets.

• Three peacocks are worth 5 stars.
• One bird of each type is worth 3 stars.
• Complete scoring sets so every card in your hand belongs to one.
• Alternatively, collect eleven different animals for a special round-ending win.

As soon as all your cards are part of scoring sets, whether before or after discarding, you can reveal your hand and end the round. You can also end the round by holding eleven different animals, earning 5 points while other players score from their sets.

Under the listed scoring rules, players receive 1 point for every 5 stars in their scoring sets. The player who ends the round also gains 1–3 points depending on the round just completed, and after three rounds the highest total wins.

The newly updated 2025 Korean version, which includes English and Japanese rulebooks, uses a different approach: the earned star score becomes your own score. With its competing objectives and quick card decisions, 13 Animals challenges you to balance set-building with the right moment to finish.