← Proteus Up Close
Proteus

Proteus 1983

6.8 /10
BGG rating
#19192
BGG rank
3.6
Weight
2
Players
2
Best at
30
Minutes
0
Age

Location

Sign in to see where your copy sits: the shelf, drawn, and how the box sits on it.

My Copy & Notes

Sign in to see your copy here: the edition, when you added it, and what you paid.

My Notes

Notes are private to their writer. Sign in to keep yours here.

My Prints for Proteus

All 0 on LayerUp

Sign in to see the prints you marked Printed for this game, the insert in the box first.

Expansions & Promos

No expansions or promos on record for this game.

About the Game

From the Kadon website:

"Background :: In ancient Greek mythology there was a sea god named Proteus. His most notable characteristic was that he could change his shape at will, from a man to a fish, a whale, a bird, or anything else. This most useful skill against opponents gave rise to the expression of being in a "Protean struggle." The Proteus game set is so named because the game can change its form — not its physical form, but rather the game rules themselves."

Michael's concept was to create a meta-game that allowed for rule-changing but had a fixed slate of rules, unlike the fluid game of Nomic. The rules on 9 wood tiles determine how the players may move their pieces, trade the tiles, or even win. A rule is activated when a player's piece enters a correspondingly shaped tile, and the previously active rule is turned off. A placement phase precedes the movement stage. Experienced players can sometimes win even before movement begins. The strategy is intense because long-range moves are not calculable. For two players, Ages 12 and up.

On Omni's list of best new games, 1983.

Online Play

Boardspace.net (real time or turn based, AI option)

Mobile Apps

Boardspace.net local multiplayer or online, IOS Boardspace.net local multiplayer or online, Android

Filed Under

Categories
Mechanics
BGG ratings
43 · geek rating 5.52
BGG data
refreshed Sep 7, 2026