Kookaburra Game Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Goal of the game
• Starting the game
• General rules
• Animals rules
• Advanced optional animals rules

Goal of the game

Move your 5 animals around the track and be the first one to bring them safely back home.

Starting the game

1. Each player chooses a colour, then moves all his/her animals to the start pad of the same colour.
2. Each player rolls one die, the highest will decide who starts to play first. The others follow anti-clockwise.

General rules

3. Each turn the player rolls 2 dice. The player may then move any one animal and may use either die or the sum of the two dice. For example if he/she throws a [3] and a [4], he/she can choose to move 3 steps, 4 steps or 7 steps (3+4). To be able to choose comes in handy in order to eat someone else's animal that's on the way or too close to home, to stop at the top of a river or to go home with one of the animals.
4. The player can only move one animal in each turn (i.e. the player cannot move one animal with one die and another animal with the other).
5. With a roll of dice, the player can move his/her animals either forward or backwards.
6. No animal can share a space with an animal of another colour but it can share with any number of animals of its own colour.
7. On his/her turn, the player must move an animal. (no skipping a turn)
8. When rolling a double six the player can play and roll the dice a second time.
9. All animals of each player must accomplish at least one round ANTI-CLOCKWISE (follow the arrows). (Because it can fly, the kookaburra doesn't need to go around, it can fly anywhere - see the animal rules -)
10. To enter its home, the animal must throw the exact number (with either one or two dice - see rule 3).
11. HOME counts for one step.
12. The winner is the first one who brings all his/her animals home after moving them around the game board once.
13. Optional rule: When playing with 4 players (especially for adults), it is recommended to apply the following rule: The crocodile cannot not move backward, except via its river. (see rule 18)

Animals rules

14. The Koala can only move from one Eucalyptus/gum leaf to another. That means it can only move if the dice give a 3 or 6 or 9 or 12.
15. The Kookaburra can fly anywhere to rescue someone (on the player's turn to roll the dice) (it means that the result of the dice can be ignored and the Kookaburra can be moved anywhere on the board instead). (To rescue someone means avoid to be eaten by the crocodile by sitting together on the same step).
16. The Platypus can swim the river of its colour (as a short cut). When it stops on the starting space of its river it can then choose to swim directly down the river (that's a big shortcut) (if there are no other player's animals on the other side) or stay where it is.
17. The Crocodile can eat any animal, except if there are two of them (or more than 2) on the same step. Tip: The more the croc eats, the more fun the game becomes, as the player's animal that was eaten must go back to the beginning and start again!
18. The Crocodile can swim across its rivers up or down to eat someone (or not eat anyone) however, the same rule applies as with the platypus: It must first stop at the starting space of the river and then move up/down the river.
19. The Kangaroo can jump with another animal in its pouch but must drop this other animal one step further. For example if the player throws the dice at 11, the kangaroo takes the koala (that was sitting next to him) in his/her pouch, the kangaroo will advance 11 steps but the koala will advance 12 steps. Warning. Even in this case all the rules apply, this means that the koala must land on a Eucalyptus/gum leaf. (And therefore if the throw of dice gives a 9, the kangaroo cannot take the koala along as he would go 9+1 = 10 (not on a leaf see rule 14). Another example is that if the dice give a 5, both steps 5 and 6 must be free of other player's animals. (except if the animal carried by the kangaroo is the crocodile) Warning2: The kangaroo cannot leave home with someone in his pouch and he cannot go back home with someone in his pouch either. He must start and finish on the path to carry someone in his pouch.
20. The Kookaburra must be the last animal to go home. He can only go home if the player rolls a SIX. (But it can be a real six or can be 3+3, 4+2, etc… see rule no 4). The Kookaburra must be on the track to finish.
21. When reaching home the Kookaburra must laugh! Ha ho ho ha ha ha! (that's a laughing Kookaburra, remember?)

Advanced optional animals rules

22. If a crocodile wants to eat another crocodile, this results in a croc fight: each player in the fight will throw one die and the highest die will win the fight. The losing croc goes back home and starts again.
23. When throwing the dice, a player can move one animal with the result of one die and another animal with the result of the other die. This optional rule actually cancels rule number 4. However when using this rule, the Kookaburra cannot be moved. At every turn the player can decide to use this rule or simply use rule number 3.
24. When playing with 4 players (especially adults), it is recommended to apply the following rule: The crocodile cannot move backward, except via its river.