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The Bestiary
The Bestiary is a unique ciphering and drawing game where players don’t just decode an ancient alphabet — they invent it. Don't be fooled by the look of it: this is the "final boss" of cipher-games.
What is The Bestiary
The Bestiary is a unique ciphering and drawing game where players don’t just decode an ancient alphabet — they invent it. Don't be fooled by the look of it: this is the "final boss" of cipher-games.
Overviewin each game 2–7 Assistants draw inspiration from a grid of 200 absurd Beasts. Within this Bestiary, each Assistant secretly selects 3 to 12 Beasts(depending on the chosen difficulty); their coordinates in the grid form the hidden message they must convey. By blending features of these creatures, players create a cryptic alphabet designed to guide another player, the Curator, toward the correct coordinates — all while concealing their meaning from rival Assistants.
Game details
- Players
- 3–8
- Age
- +12
- Duration
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- —
- Type
- Board game
- Year
- 2025
- Mechanics
- Communication Limits · Induction · Pattern Building
- Categories
- Expansion for Base-game · Deduction · Fantasy
- Designer
- Gerardo Maria Priore
- Publisher
- Beyond Words Games
The Bestiary gallery
The Bestiary on Meeplay
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How many players is The Bestiary for?
The Bestiary plays with 3–8 players.
How long does a game take?
A game takes about 45 minutes.
What age is it suitable for?
It is recommended from age 12.
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