Hungry Monkey
Hungry Monkey Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 72 Animal cards — 6 each of 12 different animals
- 1 Bad Kitty card (front and back)
- For scoring multiple games: 22 Bean cards — 10 of 1 bean, 6 each of 2 and 3 beans
Setup
- Shuffle all Animal cards and deal 3 to each player as their hand.
- Deal 4 Animal cards, face down in a row, to each player. No one is allowed to look at these cards unless specified by a card effect later in the game.
- Place the remaining Animal cards in the middle of the playing area in a facedown draw pile.
- Hold the Bad Kitty card upright next to the draw pile. Then, slide it into the deck at the approximate height determined by the number of players as indicated on the card. With 5 or 6 players place the Bad Kitty below the whole pile.
Play starts with the youngest player.
Goal of the Game
In Hungry Monkey you have Animal cards both in hand and in a facedown row in front of you. In order to win, you must be the first to play all your cards, first from your hand and then from your card row.
For multiple games, score 4 games in a row with the optional Bean scoring (see Optional Bean Scoring below).
Gameplay
Players take turns playing cards on the animal pile, in clockwise order. On your turn you must:
- Play one or more cards face up on the animal pile.
- Trigger a gang of four if possible, otherwise trigger the animal effect, if any.
- Draw back up to 3 cards in hand (unless the Bad Kitty card has been revealed).
During your turn you try to:
- Optimize your cards (row and hand) — until the draw pile is empty.
- Get rid of all your cards — after the draw pile is empty.
1. Play cards
Choose one of these ways to play cards:
- Play cards from hand. Play any number of identical valid cards from your hand. You can never play invalid cards from your hand.
- Play 1 card from the draw pile. Draw the top card from the draw pile and play it face up on the animal pile. Note: You may choose to play a card from the draw pile even if you have a valid card in hand.
- Play 1 card from your card row. If the draw pile and your hand are empty, you must play a card from your card row on the animal pile. Note: The draw pile is empty as soon as the Bad Kitty card has been revealed.
Valid Animal cards: For a card to be valid to play on the animal pile, it must have the same or a higher number than the card on the top of the animal pile. If the animal pile is empty, any card is valid.
Invalid Animal cards: When you're playing a card from the draw pile or your card row, the card can show a lower number and is therefore invalid. In this case you must add the animal pile, including the played card, to your hand. Don't trigger its effect. Card effects may change these rules!
Example: You play a card from the draw pile: Sneaky Snake (3). It has a lower number than Wise Elephant (10), making it invalid. Add the whole animal pile to your hand. Do not trigger the snake's effect.
Important: If the draw pile is empty and you have cards in hand, but no valid card, you must add the animal pile to your hand. Then your turn is over.
2. Trigger an effect
Only the topmost card you played can trigger an animal effect. If you play multiple cards of the same animal, you apply the effect only once. A gang of four (see below) prevents an animal effect!
If the topmost card has a special icon it triggers an effect. All animal effects can be found under Effects below.
Hungry Monkey: The copy effect of the Monkey is permanent and doesn't need to be triggered!
Example: You play two Swift Sparrows. The animal effect is triggered only once.
A gang of four
If there are ever four or more cards of a kind (including copies by a Hungry Monkey) on top of the animal pile, the current player must:
- Immediately discard all cards from the animal pile to the discard pile without triggering any animal effects.
- Draw back up to 3 cards.
- Take another turn.
Hungry Monkey: A Monkey always counts towards a gang of four. It doesn't matter which animal it copied originally.
Example: You play 3 Stubborn Rhinos (9). Together with the Hungry Monkey they trigger a gang of four.
3. Draw back up to 3 cards
Draw until you have 3 cards in hand. If you have 3 or more cards in hand, do not draw.
If you reveal the Bad Kitty card, leave it on top. Do not draw any more cards. The draw pile is now considered to be empty and nobody can draw cards for any reason.
Game End
The first player to play all their cards, both from their hand and from their card row, is the winner.
Play continues with the remaining players until only one player has cards left. They lose.
Example: You play the last card from your card row. Your Slender Mongoose is valid. You win immediately. The other players keep playing.
Optional Bean Scoring
You can use the Bean cards to score over 4 games. The player with the most beans, or the first player to collect 10 beans, is the winner.
Setup
- Give each player a facedown 1 Bean card.
- Place the remaining 1 Bean cards face-up next to the playing area. With 2 or 3 players you may put the remaining 1 Bean cards back in the box.
- Shuffle all 2 and 3 Bean cards and place them next to the playing area in a facedown pile.
Scoring a game
- The first player to play all their cards draws 2 Bean cards.
- The second player to play all their cards draws 1 Bean card. In a 2 player game, the second player does not score.
- The third player to play all their cards gains a 1 Bean card. In a 3 player game, the third player does not score.
- The last player with cards left discards their lowest Bean card. If they don't have a Bean card, they don't discard any.
Bean cards are placed facedown in front of you.
Starting the next game
Play starts with the player who has lost the last game.
Final scoring
The final scoring is triggered when either any player has 10 or more beans after a game or 4 games have been scored. The player with the most beans wins. In case of a tie, all tied players win.
Effects
If the topmost card you played is one of the following, and doesn't trigger a gang of four, it has the following effect:
- Tiny Ant (1): An Ant is always valid. If you play your Ant on another Ant, nothing happens. If you play your Ant on another animal, take all cards except your Ants.
- Swift Sparrow (2): Swap one of your facedown cards with one of the cards in your hand. If your hand is empty, the Sparrow has no effect.
- Sneaky Snake (3): Peek at one facedown card of any player.
- Slender Mongoose (7): Take an extra turn (after the draw cards step).
- Strong Buffalo (8): The next player has to play a card that has the same or lower number.
- King Tiger (11): Discard all cards from the animal pile, including King Tiger, to the discard pile.
- Hungry Monkey (?): A Monkey is always valid. A Monkey can be played alone or together with other valid cards. Is another animal on top of the Monkey, the Monkey copies its effect. Is no other animal on top of the Monkey, the Monkey copies the animal below and triggers its effect.
Credits
Game Design: Erik Andersson Sundén Development: Roland Goslar Artwork: Sushrita Bhattacharjee Rulebook: Hanna Björkman Graphic Design: Marina Fahrenbach Editing: Sabine Machaczek Producer: Heiko Eller-Bilz
Thanks to: Chris Baylis, Autumn Collier, Michael Kränzle, and all our friends and playtesters.
Playtesters: My Sundén (main tester), Gustav Sundén, Elias Sundén, Therese Jansson, Ami Sundén, Dorothea Hedman, Hilda Jernelid, Karin Sundén and Rickard Roxvall.
© 2022 HeidelBÄR Games GmbH. HUNGRY MONKEY, the HeidelBÄR Games logo and HeidelBÄR Games are TMs of HeidelBÄR Games GmbH. Producer: HeidelBÄR Games GmbH, Hauptstr. 107, 63897 Miltenberg, GERMANY. Made in Poland. Actual components may vary from those shown. NOT INTENDED FOR USE BY PERSONS AGE 7 OR YOUNGER. Retain this information for your records.