Das Schneemann Spiel Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• Goal of the Game
• Preparation
• Playing the Game
• Watch Out
• End of the Game
• Variant: À Califourchon (Piggy-Back)

Components

• 1 game board
• 4 large snowballs (bottoms of the snowmen)
• 4 medium snowballs (bellies)
• 4 small snowballs (heads, with eyes, nose and hat)
• 1 die with points (1-3)

The board shows a circuit of squares, one starting square for each colour, sun squares, and the finishing squares (numbered 1, 2, 3) that lead to the goal.

Goal of the Game

Which player will be the first to bring the three snowballs to the goal and build a snowman?

Preparation

Each player chooses a colour and places the three snowballs of that colour (bottom, belly and head) on the corresponding starting square. If there are only 2 or 3 players, the remaining pieces stay in the box.

Prepare the die.

Playing the Game

The player who last remembers when it last snowed gets to start. If nobody remembers, the youngest player starts.

Players take turns in clockwise order. The starting player rolls the die once and moves - also clockwise - the number of points shown on the die. Each child starts from the starting square of their own colour (the 1st square of the circuit).

Notes:

• Each player must first move the large snowball (bottom) until it reaches one of the finishing squares (made up of squares of the player's own colour). Then the player takes the medium snowball (belly), and the head last.
• A snowball must be placed on one of the finishing squares before the next one can start.
• If several snowballs are in play (one or more on the finishing squares at the goal and one on the circuit), the player may choose which one to move.

The snowballs are moved one after another in the order bottom, belly, head.

Watch Out

• You cannot jump over your own snowballs, but you can jump over those of other players.
• If a snowball lands on a square with the sun, it has to be moved back to the next free square (it would risk melting). If two or three parts land piggy-back style on a sun square, only the top part has to be moved back. You have to leave the sun square in the next round.
• If one or more snowballs land on an occupied square, you can move them on to the next free square. If this is a sun square, the snowball on top has to be placed back on an empty square.
• If you cannot move any of your snowballs or bring a new snowball into play (e.g. towards the end of the game), then you can't do anything and it's the next player's turn. (The clause "or bring a new snowball into play" is from the French text; the English page omits it.)
• If the last square before the finishing squares is occupied, you can move directly to the first finishing square. The finishing squares are formed by squares of the player's own colour.
• A snowball or the entire snowman can only reach the finish with the exact number of dots on the die.

End of the Game

The first player who gets his/her snowman to the finish wins the game. The other players can keep playing until there is a second and third winner.

Variant: À Califourchon (Piggy-Back)

Variant for 2 to 4 players from 6 years old.

Goal of the game: Which player will be the first to bring a complete snowman to the goal?

Preparation: Each player takes the three snowballs of one colour and places them on the corresponding starting square. Prepare the die.

Playing the game: As in the basic game, the players roll the die once each in turn and move their snowballs the corresponding number of points. Here, however, the snowballs are not moved one after another: they may be stacked on top of each other "piggy-back" (à califourchon) and moved together in that way. Respect the correct order: bottom, belly, head. The snowballs are moved clockwise. Start with the large snowball (bottom), then take the belly and after that the head. The player whose turn it is chooses which snowball to move; in any case they must move one of the snowballs if that is possible.

Watch out:

• You are not allowed to jump over your own snowballs, but you may jump over those of other players.
• If a snowball lands on a sun square, it is moved back to the first free square outside the sun square. If two or three snowballs stacked piggy-back land on a sun square, the top snowball must be moved back. The player must, however, leave the sun square on the next turn!
• If one or more snowballs land on an occupied square, they may advance to the next free square. If that free square is a sun square, the top snowball must then move back.
• If no snowball can be moved (e.g. towards the end of the game), the player passes and the next player takes a turn.
• If the last square before the finishing squares (the coloured squares) is occupied, the player may advance directly to the first square of their own colour.
• A snowball or the entire snowman must reach the goal directly, with the exact number of points on the die.

End of the game: The player who brings their snowman to the goal first wins the game. The game may continue to determine the second and third winners.