Jenga Max
Jenga Max Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components and Assembly
Contents: 36 Jenga blocks, 1 base, 1 rod, 1 clip (attache) and 1 ring.
Object of the game: take a block from the base and attach it to another block. The last player to place a block before the ring falls from the tower wins the game!
Assembly: attach the rod, the clip and the ring to the base of the Jenga Max as shown in diagram 1. The parts are labelled on the diagram: top hat (chapeau), ring (anneau), rod (tige), clip (attache), base and storage (rangement).
Age: 8+. Players: 2+.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: When I have started attaching a block, can I change my mind and place it elsewhere?
A: Yes, you can change your mind up until the moment you have not yet let go of your block.
Q: Can I stabilise the tower by holding the base, the ring, the rod, or a block placed on the tower?
A: No, that is forbidden, sorry!
Q: Can I place a block that touches the table, the floor, the ring, the top hat or the base?
A: No. Arms must be built upward, downward, or even as a "top hat arm", but they may not touch the ring, the top hat, or the base. It is forbidden to place a block if the distance between that block and the play surface is not at least one block.
Q: Can I simply place a block on another one without attaching it?
A: No.
Diagram 4 (construction examples) is captioned: "Construction upward...", "downward...", "in zigzags...", and "or the 'top hat arm'!"
Setting Up the Infernal Tower
- Once assembled, place the tower in the centre of the players. Make sure the ring is magnetically attached to the top of the tower.
- Place the 36 blocks in the 4 storage compartments of the base. These compartments are accessible to all players; the colours and the number of blocks do not matter.
- Decide which player will go first. Play continues clockwise.
Let's Go!
Place the 3 starting blocks first: each player in turn places 1 block on one of the notches of the ring (and only on the notches) until the 3 starting blocks are fixed. See the two examples in diagram 2. The starting blocks allow you to start the game by attaching blocks in any direction, to make the task harder for your opponents.
Caution: you must not place more than 3 starting blocks on the ring.
Diagram 2 is captioned "Notch" (encoche). You can fix the 3 starting blocks on any of the 8 notches of the ring.
Play
On your turn, take a block from one of the storage compartments of the base, then, using only one hand, attach it gently to another block already in place on the ring. To fix it, you may use either of the block's 2 holes. See diagram 3.
Attach a block onto one of the 2 holes of a block already fixed to the ring...
Diagram 3 is captioned: "upward...", "downward...", and "or all horizontal!"
Caution! The ring stays on the tower only thanks to its magnet! The tower is therefore very sensitive: too sudden a movement and the construction collapses!
- Your turn ends 5 seconds after you place your block, provided that the block does not fall and the tower does not collapse. It is then the turn of the player to your left to place a block.
- If one or more blocks fall but the ring remains attached to its magnet, replace the block(s) before passing your turn. You are not obliged to put them back in the notches where they were before falling.
- If the ring falls during your turn, you are eliminated! The last player who completed their turn without making the ring fall therefore wins the game.
Jenga Max: A Different Tower Each Game
Throughout the game, the different arms that extend from the ring are built lengthwise, heightwise, and in zigzags. The constructions can be very solid or downright unstable: it is up to you to decide! Your creation may seem fun, but be careful: the next block you attach may be the one that brings everything down! See the construction examples in the "Tips and Tricks" section.
Expert Mode
If all 36 blocks have been attached to the ring and the tower is still standing, you may add an even more perilous rule: on each turn, you must now remove a block from one of the 2 shortest arms and add it to the longest arm. If you are not sure of the length of the arms, simply count the number of blocks.
Winner
The last player who placed a block before the tower falls is the winner of the game.
Master of the game: if you miraculously manage to place all 36 blocks on one arm, which will then be incredibly long, congratulations! You are a true JENGA MAX master!
Tips and Tricks
- Placing a block so that it simply hangs from the block on which you placed it may seem the least risky strategy, but it is in fact the riskiest. Blocks hanging in the void are the ones most likely to fall from the tower, and they are very difficult to use as a base for the next block.
- The best strategy? Build upward, downward, or in a zigzag. See the construction examples in diagram 4.
- The safest base for construction is obtained by placing the 3 starting blocks symmetrically. However, placing the 3 starting blocks on the same side, next to one another, promises an exciting game full of suspense! You can also try to balance the construction by building an arm that passes over the top of the tower. This is called the "top hat arm" (le bras chapeau). See an example in diagram 4.