The Jumanji board game is a fun and challenging game based on the book and subsequent movie starring Robin Williams. With twists and turns, and action-packed excitement, this is the perfect board game to play with friends and family members.
Understanding the Jumanji Board Game
This game was created for people eight and older and can be played with two to four players. Playtime takes around 45 minutes to an hour to complete the game. In order to win, players must escape the jungle and make it to the center of the board by solving riddles, rescuing each other, and using their wits to outrun lurking dangers.
Jumanji Board Game Rules
Jumanji is a fun board game to play during a family game night or at a party with friends and only costs around $20 to purchase. To play:
- Have each player pick one pawn and one rescue die and set up the board with the danger cards shuffled and facing down.
- Roll the number die and move your pawn on your color pathway. If you land on a blank space, pull a danger card and read it under the decoder.
- Flip the hourglass and wait for the other players to rescue you by rolling their rescue die.
- All players need to roll either an hourglass symbol or the symbol from the danger card you pulled in order to save you.
- If you're safe, you can keep your pawn in the same space, but if you aren't rescued, you need to move your pawn back to the number of spaces noted on your danger card.
- If you land on a wait for five or eight spaces, then each player has to take a turn trying to rescue you by rolling either a five or eight on the die. If they don't, you move back a space. This continues until you are rescued, or move back far enough to reach the starting point.
- If you land on a Jungle space, pull a danger card and read it under the decoder. Flip the timer and all players will need to roll their rescue die to match the symbol on the Jungle space in order to save themselves.
- If all players roll the hourglass symbol or the card symbol, everyone is safe.
- If not, add the danger card to the Doomsday Grid and continue pulling danger cards until everyone is safe.
- Each player will need to roll the correct symbol or hourglass symbol to save everyone, or the above steps will need to be repeated.
- A rhino can be placed in any rhino space. If you land on the space with the rhino, you are blocked until you roll an even number on your die, or until another player lands on the same space and moves the rhino.
- If the Doomsday Grid fills up, all players have lost, and the game is over.
- If you and another player both reach the center at the same time, the first player to yell "Jumanji" is the winner.
Box Components
In the box you get the following:
- The Jumanji board game board
- A deck of danger cards
- Instructions
- A red filter disc to read the cards, which have a special section on how to save yourself
- Four rescue dice
- Sand timer
How to Play Jumanji
Jumanji requires some teamwork, despite there being only one true winner in the end. The majority of the game is up to chance and will depend on how lucky you are when you roll your die. The object of the game is to avoid being trapped or taken down by the jungle and to reach the center of the board. To win the game:
- Roll the die quickly when you are all trapped in order to save yourself from stalling your forward progress.
- You can opt to roll the die slowly and hope that you don't end up rolling a certain symbol if you'd like your opponents to halt their progress.
Jumanji Board Game Versions
Since its release in 1995, there have been several other versions that have come out. These include:
- German, French, Italian, Dutch, Korean, and Spanish Editions: With high levels of popularity, the board game was released in several languages, allowing more players from around the world to participate.
- 2017 Second Edition: The second edition comes with updated card riddles.
- Travel Edition: The travel edition costs around $8 and is smaller, making it perfect for road trips or vacations. It is meant to be played with two players.
- Wooden Second Edition: This edition is similar to the game played in the movie with the wooden lid.
Have Fun Playing the Jumanji Board Game
The Jumanji board game is a fun and exciting game to play with friends or family members. With so many variations in how the game will unfold, you'll have a great time playing again and again.
