This game has very attractive and durable gamepieces and board. The idea is very cute, but in the course of normal gameplay, the rules that come with the game leave several "holes" where it is not clear what to do. because I think this game is worth getting, I am including the "Revised Rules" here (if I have enough space to do so.) Follow this version of the rules for exciting and surprising game play even when playing with two players.THE PUMPKIN KING (Revised Rules)
Getting Started:
1. Lay a path with the tiles leading from the "Pumpkin King" tile (start) to the "Headless scarecrow" tile (finish).Tiles with circles in them are "safety" zones for use in the game.
2. Place Baazlebub, the one-eyed cat, next to the scarecrow. Place the pumpkins in play next to the "Pumpkin King" tile.
3. Each player rolls the pumpkin die, whoever gets the highest goes first.
Playing the Game:
1. For each turn, a player rolls both dice. He/she must in this order move his/her pumpkin AHEAD the number shown on his pumpkin die; he/she must then do any requirements based on where he/she landed as indicated below:
a. If the pumpkin lands on another pumpkin in a SAFE ZONE, the current player must send his/her pumpkin home.
b. If the pumpkin lands on another pumpkin NOT in a safe zone, the OTHER pumpkin gets sent home.
c. If the pumpkin lands on Baazlebub, Baazlebub moves back to the scarecrow square, and the current player's pumpkin moves to the PREVIOUS safe zone in the path. If the previous safe zone is already occupied by another pumpkin, the current player must move his pumpkin home!
2. He/she must then move the Baazlebub piece BACKWARDS the number shown on the black die; then performing any requirements as indicated below:
a. If Baazlebub lands on a pumpkin which is NOT in a safe zone, that pumpkin MUST go home... even if it is the current player's pumpkin!!!
b. If Baazlebub lands on any pumpkin in a safe zone, Baazlebub goes back to the scarecrow square.
c. If Baazlebub has reached all the way to the "Pumpkin King" king tile, he continues to the next square which is the scarecrow square, as if the path were connected in a circular loop. For example, if Baazlebub were two tiles away from the Pumpkin King and rolled a six, then he would move the two to the Pumpkin king, then counting scarecrow as three, continue to move until six tiles have been crossed. If Baazlebub lands on a pumpkin, the rules in a) and b) above for pumpkins in Safe Zones (or not) apply.
d. If the Baazlebub die shows the green eye-one Baazlebub, then the current player can move Baazlebub ANYWHERE on the board he/she likes, and have the appropriate rules apply (i.e. if he lands on a pumpkin not in a safe zone, that pumpkin goes back home.)
Winning the Game:
1. To Win, the current player must roll the EXACT number of tiles required to land on the scarecrow square. If the player rolls too high a number (i.e. needs a four to win, rolls a six), they stay exactly where they are. If they can move at all (i.e. needs a four to win, rolls a two), they must advance whatever they can, and face the consequences of that space. Once the player has rolled the exact number to land on the scarecrow, the game ends immediately; Baazlebub does NOT need to be moved one final time.
2. OPTIONAL ENDING RULE: (To be decided before game begins.) Even after the current player lands on the scarecrow, he/she must still move Baazlebub, and face the consequences of where Baazlebub lands, including the possibility of being sent back home!!!
This game is very attractively created, and quick and easy to learn, even for younger members of the family (our youngest member is 10, but I'm sure someone as young as 6 or 7 could play it easily.)We love the adorable little pumpkin pawns, each of which has his own unique carved face (one of them even seems to have won a prize ribbon, which it displays on its back!) and the one-eyed black cat Beelzebub, although we quickly re-named him to "Meowzebub" :D
We did find, at first, that game-play tended not to advance at all.Everyone spent most of their time being sent back to Start, which got tedious after awhile.We checked the rules to find out if we were doing anything wrong and found that we were playing correctly, but the rules stated that the black die had only one eye.For some reason, ours had two, which increased the odds of being sent back to start 'way too much.A black sharpie solved the problem: we colored one of the eyes black and decreed that the black eye meant that Meowzebub had been caught "cat-napping" and was therefore not able to move that turn.That evened the odds perfectly and game-play advanced at a normal rate with just enough challenge.
On the whole a totally adorable game and fun for the whole family, but if you get a copy with two eyes on the black die, just get out your Sharpie!
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