
2026Charlie McCarron
Mainly reviews. Surplus of Sloths is covered on BoardGameVideo.com by 6 reviews, 2 how-to-play guides, and 2 other videos.
From BoardGameGeek
In Surplus of Sloths, the rivers are flooding, and players are wildlife rescuers each trying to save sloths and make them happy so that they can be awarded even more sloths! To set up, use as many types of sloths as the number of players, plus one. Each player takes three cards in hand, then discards one card to the "surplus net". Deal out two rows of cards, with each row having one more card than the number of players. The active player drafts one card from a row, then each other player drafts from the same row, with the final card falling into the surplus net. Add a new row of cards, then the next player clockwise starts the next turn. When you all the rows have been drafted, with remaining cards falling into the net, players compare their longest run of each sloth type. A type has cards numbered 1-7, along with three Xs, which are wild. Whoever has the longest run of a type, with ties being broken by whoever has the highest numeral in their run, claims all cards in the surplus net of that type. The value of a type equals the sum of the numbers in the net multiplied by 1-4 depending on how many sloths of that type (0-3) are also in the net. Whoever has the most points wins. You can also play with four baby sloths of value 0 that count as all types. They aren't worth any points in the surplus net, but they can lengthen all of your runs...assuming they would otherwise start with 1, that is.
Surplus of Sloths has 10 videos from 8 creators: 6 reviews, 2 how-to-play guides and 2 other videos. They date from 2025 to October 2026.
To learn the rules, start with "All the Games with Steph: Surplus of Sloths - Teach" by Steph Hodge, which runs 10 min. For a quicker teach, "Surplus of Sloths" by Jamie, Tabletoptiktok runs 6 min.
For an opinion before you buy, start with "Save the Sloths! Surplus of Sloths Board Game Preview" by Board Game Apprentice. 6 creators have reviewed it.
If you like it, try Ringyō, Skyrockets: Festivals of Fire, Four Humours and Lunar Skyline, also by Charlie McCarron.
7 of 8
2023Charlie McCarron
2 - 5 players10 - 15 minLight weight
2022Charlie McCarron
1 - 6 players45 - 60 minMedium weight
From BoardGameGeek:
In Surplus of Sloths, the rivers are flooding, and players are wildlife rescuers each trying to save sloths and make them happy so that they can be awarded even more sloths! To set up, use as many types of sloths as the number of players, plus one. Each player takes three cards in hand, then discards one card to the "surplus net". Deal out two rows of cards, with each row having one more card than the number of players. The active player drafts one card from a row, then each other player drafts from the same row, with the final card falling into the surplus net. Add a new row of cards, then the next player clockwise starts the next turn. When you all the rows have been drafted, with remaining cards falling into the net, players compare their longest run of each sloth type. A type has cards numbered 1-7, along with three Xs, which are wild. Whoever has the longest run of a type, with ties being broken by whoever has the highest numeral in their run, claims all cards in the surplus net of that type. The value of a type equals the sum of the numbers in the net multiplied by 1-4 depending on how many sloths of that type (0-3) are also in the net. Whoever has the most points wins. You can also play with four baby sloths of value 0 that count as all types. They aren't worth any points in the surplus net, but they can lengthen all of your runs...assuming they would otherwise start with 1, that is.
Designer
Charlie McCarron
Artist
Jon Merchant
Publisher
Weird Giraffe Games
Mechanics