JumbleJack Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Goal of the Game
• Components
• Setup
• The Round
  • Exact Match
  • Mismatch
  • Final Ritual
• Pieces of Eight

Goal of the Game

Dress the Doll to match an opponent's secret Pirate card and cast the ritual against them. Everyone wins except the pirate who is ultimately cursed!

Components

• 1 Doll
• 4 Accessories to dress the Doll
• 16 Pirate cards
• 36 Accessory cards
• 1 Player Aid card
• 2 Artwork cards
• 20 Rings
• 8 Piece of Eight tokens (including a First Player token)

Setup

1. Place the Doll and its 4 Accessories in the center of the table.
2. Shuffle the Pirate card deck.
3. Draw 1 Pirate card.
4. Dress the Doll according to that card. Discard that card to the box.
5. Deal each player 1 facedown Pirate card. This card is their identity and is kept secret for the entire game. Return the remaining Pirate cards to the box without revealing them.
6. Gather a number of Piece of Eight tokens equal to the number of players. Always include the First Player token (with the Doll over a Mirror) plus 3-4 tokens with Doll accessories on them. For games with 6 or more players, also include the Mirror tokens numbered 6, 7, and 8. These additional tokens all have the Mirror ability. Shuffle these tokens facedown and deal 1 to each player. Players keep their token secret until they use its ability. The player who receives the First Player token reveals it, then places it facedown in front of them and takes the Doll. The First Player may still use their Piece of Eight token as a Mirror.
7. Place the Accessory cards brown side up in the middle of the table in 4 piles, 1 per type.
8. Beginning with the First Player, each player chooses 1 Accessory card and places it in front of themselves with the side up that is true for their secret Pirate card and states the fact. (For example, declare that "I have the hat," placing a hat card brown side up, or "I don't have the cloak," placing a cloak card red side up.) Players cannot lie.
9. Each player puts 1 Ring (color does not matter) on their index finger. Place 12 Rings of a rough mix of the colors in the center and return any remaining Rings to the box.

Play begins with open discussion. Crew members turn toward the player holding JumbleJack, arguing over which pirate seems most likely to be the next victim. Accusations, speculation, and bluffing are all part of the ritual.

The Round

1. Point finger. Players think about who they will point to. The player with the Doll does not point a finger and cannot be targeted. At the rhythm guided by the player with the Doll, players chant "Jum... ble... JACK!" and each point their beringed finger at another player on "JACK!".

2. Determine the target. Sum the number of Rings on the fingers pointing to each player. The player with the highest sum is the target for this round. The number of fingers pointing at a player does not matter when determining the target. In a tie for most Rings, the player with the Doll chooses the target among the tied players.

3. Perform the ritual. The player with the Doll adds or removes 1 Accessory (for example, adding the hat or removing the cloak) and gives the Doll to the target. Next, the target either tells the table whether the Doll is an Exact Match or a Mismatch, or reveals their Piece of Eight token.

Compare your Pirate card to the Doll (for example: hat, no cloak, hook, no sword).

Exact Match

If the Doll is dressed exactly like the target's Pirate card, the target reveals their card and the game ends. The curse falls on the target, and all other players win.

Mismatch

If at least 1 Accessory is different, the target declares 1 difference by saying "It's not like me because I have/don't have ____." (Declare a difference between the Doll and your Pirate card: "I don't have a cloak" or "I have a hat".)

You cannot lie as the target. The target places an Accessory card in front of them to mark the declared difference, stacking the Accessory card on top of any previous ones so only the most recent card is visible. In the rare case there are no remaining cards for that accessory, simply state the difference.

They also take a Ring from the center and add it to their finger. The target player keeps the Doll in the next round, which begins after they gain a Ring. Tip: When adding a Ring to your finger, choose a different color than your previous Ring to make counting easier.

Tip: Try to memorize the Accessories of your opponents. You can freely discuss what you remember of other players.

Rounds continue until an Exact Match is made or the Rings in the center run out, in which case players perform the Final Ritual.

Final Ritual

If there are no Rings left in the center, discard all Pieces of Eight. Then, the player with the Doll casts the Final Ritual. The player can dress the Doll as they like and cast a final ritual targeting any player. Other players can freely suggest Accessories. If the Doll matches, the target is cursed and all other players win. If it does not match, the target wins and all other players are cursed.

Pieces of Eight

Your Piece of Eight is your unique ability. You may reveal and use it exactly once when you are the target of the ritual, after you have received the Doll.

Disguise: After revealing this token, declare a difference using the depicted Accessory. You can lie or tell the truth, and using a Disguise prevents you from having to reveal whether the Doll was an exact match! Take the Ring as you would in a regular ritual, but do not take an Accessory card. Leave the Disguise token in front of you faceup.

Mirror (6+ players): Reveal this token to change the target of the ritual to another player (you cannot target the player who had the Doll at the start of the round). Do not add or remove 1 Accessory when handing the Doll to the new target. You can use a Mirror even if you became the target because another player used a Mirror.