Head to head
Carnival or Nemesis
To help you decide
Why you'd pick each one
Carnival
- Less well known, if you want something off the beaten track.
- Easier to teach and to get to the table: 1.5 vs 3.5 in weight.
- Plays in 40 minutes against 135.
- Brings set collection, which the other one doesn't have.
Nemesis
- Better rated on BoardGameGeek: 8.2 vs 5.7.
- Far more played: 38,236 ratings against 518.
- Meatier, if you want something to chew on.
- Fills a long session, if you have the whole evening.
- Handles up to 5 players.
- Plays solo.
- Brings solo / solitaire game and action points, which the other one doesn't have.
The numbers, side by side
| Data point | Carnival | Nemesis |
|---|---|---|
| BGG rating | 5.7 | 8.2 Better rated |
| Ratings | 518 | 38,236 |
| Players | 2–4 | 1–5 |
| Playing time | 20–60 min | 90–180 min |
| Complexity | 1.5 / 5 | 3.5 / 5 |
| Age | 13+ | 12+ |
| Year | 2011 | 2018 |
Only the rating gets a winner mark. A shorter or lighter game isn't a better one: it depends on what you're after.
Ratings and catalogue data are attributed to BoardGameGeek.