Jinxx
Jinxx Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Overview
Jinxx is an abstract strategy game in which players jockey for position in a tight space. Will the roll of the die allow you to move the piece you need before it gets destroyed by an enemy?
Number of players: 2 to 4
Equipment
- Three trios of a unique color for each player
- 3x3 grid
- A pyramid die
Setup
Arrange each player's pieces as a set of three trees lined up, off the board, on one side of the 3x3 board. Be sure to match the colors to the gradients on the board edges, which will help remind everyone of the color assignments.
In a two-player game, you can choose to sit either catty-cornered or across from each other.
Who Goes First?
Whoever says, "I'm going first!" first, goes first!
Goal
To win, you must arrange your pieces so that you have the topmost pyramid in any three-in-a-row line through the center square.
Roll to Move
- On your turn, roll the die, then move a piece. The die indicates the size of the piece you will move. If two sizes are shown, choose one.
- You can move any of your pieces in a tower. All pyramids on top are carried along with it -- even other players' pieces.
- You can only move one space orthogonally -- no diagonal moves allowed.
- Pass the die to the next player when you finish your turn.
Entering the Board
The only spot your off-the-board pieces can be moved onto is the spot they are directly in front of. Pieces cannot leave the board once they've been moved onto it.
Stacking Restrictions
Your piece can land on a piece of any color; however, you cannot land on a piece that is smaller than the piece you are moving. In other words, pieces may be stacked, but ONLY onto pieces of the same size or larger.
Destroying a Piece
Any time a piece lands on top of another piece of the same size, the lower piece is destroyed. Remove the piece that was landed on, even if it's your own, and return it to the box.
If You Cannot Move
- If you can make ANY legal move, you MUST.
- If you cannot move, you may choose to either roll again OR move another player's piece of the given size(s).
- When moving another player's piece, you must make a legal move. Also, you cannot move their off-the-board pieces, only their pieces in play.
How to Win
If you have the topmost piece in any three-in-a-row line of pieces through the center space, you win!
Vaporization
When a player is down to just two pieces, it becomes impossible for them to win. Therefore, they are eliminated. Their final two pieces are immediately removed.
Historical Notes
Jinxx began with Pink Hijinks, originally published in 2012, as a standalone game in a tiny pink pyramid-shaped zippered bag. (The rules for the game were also released as the Looney Labs Holiday Gift for that year.) In 2016, Hijinks was featured in Pyramid Arcade, but since that was "any-color-other-than-pink" Hijinks, we shortened the name. Finally, in 2022, Andy had the idea of adapting the core concepts of Hijinks into a game for 3 to 4 players, which became Jinxx.