Jumanji Board Game: family board game
Jumanji The Board Game: The 2017 Cardinal Reissue
Jumanji The Board Game from Cardinal Games (2017) reissues the 1995 Milton Bradley game for 2-4 players, ages 8+, with colorized artwork and some new riddles. It’s the easiest way to play the original-style rules today.
- 2017
- 2-4 players
- Ages 8+
- family board game
- Cardinal Games
Same jungle, brighter colors. Read a card, flip the timer, and rescue your friend.
Quick look: one round of Jumanji: The Game (2017)
Each turn means a short move along a path, then a Danger card if you land in the jungle.
For the original feel, look for the 1995 game or the 2017 reissue.
- Step 1:
Setup: shuffle the Danger cards, put each pawn on its START space, and give every player a rescue die.
- Step 2:
Roll the number die and move your pawn along your path toward the center.
- Step 3:
Land in the jungle and draw a Danger card. Slide it into the decoder to reveal a rhyming message, symbol, and number.
- Step 4:
Flip the sand timer. The other players roll their rescue dice together, trying to match the card’s symbol or the wild hourglass.
- Step 5:
A successful rescue gets the player in danger to safety. If it fails, that player moves backward, or the card goes onto the Doomsday Grid.
- Step 6:
Rhino and wait spaces can keep a pawn stuck until another player lends a hand.
- 7Step 7:
Reach the center with an exact roll and shout Jumanji. The first player there wins for everyone, but filling the Doomsday Grid means everyone loses.
The reissue keeps the 1995 design, so its rules are the same as the original’s. Here’s a short version of the turn sequence, with the basics a first-time group needs. For every space type and a full rulebook-level walkthrough, see Jumanji board game rules on the original game’s page.
For teamwork, try the cooperative Deluxe electronic edition.
How the 2017 Jumanji reissue works
Setup
Unfold the board and set the decoder in the center.
Shuffle the Danger cards and place them face down.
Each player takes a pawn, a rescue die, and a START space.
Put the plastic rhino on its home base, with the sand timer and number die close by.
Turn by turn
Move
Roll the eight-sided number die and move along your path. Landing on a jungle space brings a Danger card into play.
Decode
Slide the Danger card into the decoder. Its window reveals a rhyming message, a symbol, and a number. Some messages were rewritten for the 2017 edition.
Rescue
Flip the 8-second sand timer. Rescuers roll their dice at the same time, looking for the card’s symbol or the wild hourglass.
Consequences
A failed rescue sends the endangered player backward or adds a card to the ten-space Doomsday Grid. On a success, rescuers advance the number of spaces shown on the card.
End of the game and scoring
There’s no scoring. According to the Cardinal manual, the first player to reach the center space wins for everyone after resolving any Danger cards. That player yells “Jumanji.” If the Doomsday Grid fills first, everyone loses.
Key rules
Same rules, fresh look
Sources describe the reissue as the 1995 game with new colorized artwork and updated card messages. It keeps the decoder and rescue-dice structure.
Everyone shares the outcome
The Cardinal manual describes cooperative play: the first player to arrive wins for everyone.
Ages and players
The reissue is listed for 2-4 players, ages 8+, just like the original.
Tips for your first game
- Read each Danger card’s message aloud. Its symbol and number matter for the rescue.
- Choose who flips the sand timer before drawing the first card.
- If you own the 1995 box, you can use its rules. The two share one design.
- Check the distance to the center before moving. You need an exact count to win.
For the display shelf, the Noble Collection replica copies the film's board.
The year on the box can be confusing: 2017 is also when Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle opened. The board game shares its timing, not its plot. The Jumanji board game from the movie overview shows which version goes with which film.
The 2017 reissue and the 1995 film
Check the age on the box: listings for wooden editions disagree between 6+ and 8+.
The game
Design and release
Cardinal Games published Jumanji: The Game in 2017 as an updated version of the 1995 Milton Bradley game. The Cardinal manual is listed under model 6040889. No designer credit specifically for the reissue is confirmed.
Editions and reprints
The reissue has colorized artwork and revised riddles on some Danger cards. Spin Master Games later released separate Jumanji Deluxe editions with different rules.
The film or series it covers
The reissue is based on the 1995 film Jumanji. It came out around Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (United States release December 20, 2017), but it isn’t an adaptation of that film.
The game keeps the 1995 premise: a jungle comes alive until someone finishes the game. In Welcome to the Jungle, the board game becomes a video game cartridge, so the sequel doesn’t reuse the board game’s rules.
Scenes and story beats in the game
- 1
The central decoder takes the place of the crystal ball that displays cryptic messages in the 1995 film.
- 2
The Danger-card rhymes echo the film’s rhyming verses.
- 3
The wait 5 or 8 space nods to the film’s verse about waiting until the dice read five or eight.
- 4
The shared win and loss reflect the film’s rule that the game’s effects stop only when someone finishes it.
What’s in the 2017 Jumanji box
- Folding cardboard gameboard with colorized artwork
- Cardboard organizer
- Four pawns
- Plastic rhino
- Sand timer
- Eight-sided number die and rescue dice
- Danger cards with decoder
How the 2017 reissue differs from the 1995 game
Milton Bradley original 1995
The first release, with four wooden pawns, 30 Danger cards and an 8-second sand timer.
Cardinal Games reissue 2017
New colorized artwork and updated riddle messages; the manual is model 6040889.
Questions about the 2017 Jumanji board game
What is Jumanji The Board Game from 2017?
It’s Jumanji: The Game from Cardinal Games, an updated reissue of the 1995 Milton Bradley game. The artwork is colorized, and some riddles have changed.
Is the 2017 Jumanji board game based on Welcome to the Jungle?
No. It reissues the 1995 game and came out around the 2017 film. In the film, the board game turns into a video game, so this toy doesn’t adapt the story.
How many players can play the 2017 Jumanji board game?
2-4 players, ages 8+, just like the 1995 original.
Does the 2017 version have the same rules as 1995?
Sources describe the same core design: a number die, Danger cards read through the decoder, rescue dice against a timer, and a Doomsday Grid. Not every card is documented, so the exact card text may differ.
What’s in the Cardinal Jumanji box?
A folding cardboard board, cardboard organizer, four pawns, a plastic rhino, a timer, an eight-sided die, rescue dice, Danger cards, and a decoder.
For the original feel, look for the 1995 game or the 2017 reissue.
For teamwork, try the cooperative Deluxe electronic edition.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Jumanji (film) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia: Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle en.wikipedia.org