Giraffe Raffe (FR)

*French version

Giraffe Raffe (FR) features hungry giraffes competing to reach the tastiest apples high in the trees. Beneath its colourful and accessible appearance lies a surprisingly tense card game where every decision slowly pushes players toward an unavoidable dead end. As the trees fill up, finding legal plays becomes more and more difficult.

In this clever strategy card game, players must either play giraffe cards onto different trees while respecting their restrictions or spend valuable Apple tokens to skip their turn. Some trees require higher values, others demand matching colours, sequences, or specific combinations. Successful plays reward players with apples or extra cards, but options steadily disappear as the game progresses.

The most unique aspect of Giraffe Raffe is its reverse elimination structure: there is only one loser. As long as a player can continue playing cards or spending apples, they survive. The moment a player cannot act, they immediately lose the game. This creates constant tension where resource management and subtle player manipulation become essential.

You will likely enjoy Giraffe Raffe if you love quick tactical card games, clever shedding mechanics, and accessible family experiences packed with interaction. Its simple rules and fast pace hide far more strategic depth than expected.

Interesting fact: Giraffe Raffe is a modern reimplementation of Exhaust by acclaimed Japanese designer Hisashi Hayashi, known for creating elegant minimalist games with highly interactive gameplay.

The game was designed by Hisashi Hayashi and illustrated by Bingo Kim. This Mandoo Games edition also includes a solo mode featuring a Giraffe Robot opponent and an extended variant using Rotten Apple tokens for longer matches.

BOX CONTENTS
60 numbered cards
4 Copy cards
64 Giraffe cards
10 Tree tiles
16 Apple tokens
6 Rotten Apple tokens
1 Giraffe Robot
Rulebook

Number of players: 1 to 5
Playing time: 15 to 30 minutes
Age: 8+