Push Push Penguin
Push Push Penguin Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 1 Game Board
- 1 Orca Standee
- 1 Orca Die
- 1 Seal Die
- 20 Fish Tokens
- 6 Penguin Standees
- 6 Penguin Boards
- 6 Dice Cups
- 12 Penguin Dice
Standard Rules (3+ Players)
Setup
- Place the Game Board in the center of the play area.
- Place the Orca Standee on the "Orca Start" space in the ocean on the right side of the Game Board.
- Set the Seal Die nearby.
- Give the youngest player the Orca Die. They will take the first turn.
- Give each player a Fish Token and place the rest within reach of all players.
- Each player chooses an available color. Give them the following items in that color. Leave any extras in the box.
- Penguin Standee
- Penguin Board
- Dice Cup
- 2 Penguin Dice
- Each player places their Penguin Standee on the "Penguin Start" space at the top of the Game Board.
Watch the tutorial video and find FAQs at WiseWizardGames.com/penguin
Objective
Race to the Diving Point, but don't be first or you'll be chased away by the Orca! If you are second in line when the game ends, you win!
Round Overview
The game is played over a series of rounds. Each round consists of five steps:
- Roll Dice
- Select Dice
- Reveal Dice
- Take Turns
- Move the Orca
Keep playing rounds until the Orca successfully chases away a Penguin, then determine the winner.
Round Details
1. Roll Dice
At the same time, all players roll their Penguin Dice. Shake your dice in your Dice Cup and turn it upside down onto your Penguin Board without letting any dice out. You may peek at your dice, but use your cup to keep them hidden from the other players. If any of your dice land on the table outside of your cup or are seen, keep those rolls and hide them under your cup.
2. Select Dice
At the same time, all players secretly select which of their dice they want to use for movement. Place your chosen die on the GO space of your Penguin Board. (This is your GO die and determines how many spaces you will move on your turn.) Place your other die on your NO space. (This is your NO die.)
3. Reveal Dice
At the same time, all players reveal their dice by lifting their Cups.
4. Take Turns
Starting with whoever has the Orca Die and going clockwise, each player takes their turn. On your turn:
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A. If your GO die matches your NO die, you may reroll both of your dice and reassign them. If they still match, you may repeat this step.
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B. Next, you may Gobble Up one of your Fish Tokens (return it to the pool of Fish) to either:
- Reroll both of your dice and reassign them. OR
- Make both of your dice GO dice (put both on your GO space). You will move the total number of spaces.
You may keep Gobbling Up any number of your Fish.
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C. Next, move your Penguin forward a number of spaces equal to your GO die (or dice). (Something might happen when you stop moving. See "If you land on a…" Also, whenever a Penguin moves onto the Orca's space, the game might end! See "End of Game.")
5. Move the Orca
After all players have taken their turns, the player with the Orca Die rolls it and moves the Orca that many spaces toward the Penguins. (Whenever the Orca moves onto a Penguin's space, the game might end! See "End of Game.")
Lastly, the player with the Orca Die passes it to the player on their left. That player with the Orca Die will take the first turn in the next round.
Note: The Orca only moves in the ocean. If it reaches the last ocean space, it no longer moves—it waits for the slow Penguins. You no longer roll the Orca Die, but keep passing it to show which player takes the first turn in the next round.
If You Land On A…
Whenever you land on or are pushed onto anything listed below, follow the instructions. (When moving multiple spaces, ignore everything before the space you land on.)
1. Penguin
Push that Penguin forward! Move them one space forward. If there are multiple Penguins in a row, push each of them starting with the one in the front. If a Penguin is pushed onto anything listed below, they follow the instructions for that thing.
Example: Green's GO die is a 3, so they move forward three spaces. Since Purple is already in that space, Purple is pushed one space forward.
2. Slide
Slide forward! When you land on the start of a slide, move your Penguin to the bottom of the slide. If another Penguin is waiting at the end, you push that Penguin!
Example: Purple's GO die is a 1, so they move forward one space and end on a slide. They move down the slide, following the arrow.
3. Fish
Gain 1 Fish Token. Players may hold any number of Fish Tokens.
4. Seal
Roll the Seal Die and do what it shows. You may Gobble Up one of your Fish Tokens to reroll this die. You may do this any number of times.
The Seal Die has these results:
- Orca tail: Advance the Orca one space.
- Lead Penguin symbol: Move to the space directly in front of the lead penguin (unless that's you).
- Two numbers (2/7, 3/5, or 4/6): Choose one of the two numbers shown and move forward that many spaces.
End of Game
Whenever the Orca moves onto a Penguin's space, the Orca stops moving and Surprises that Penguin. Whenever a Penguin moves onto the Orca's space, that Penguin stops moving and is Surprised by the Orca.
Whenever you are Surprised by the Orca, you have a chance to Hide by rolling the Seal Die.
- If you roll the Orca tail, you are able to Hide! Move backward to the space behind the last Penguin. (If you land on anything previously mentioned, follow the instructions as normal.)
- If you do not roll the Orca tail, Gobble Up your Fish Tokens one at a time to reroll the Seal Die until you get the Orca tail. If you do not get the Orca tail, the game ends. The Surprised Penguin is chased away by the Orca and the second Penguin wins!
Example (1/4): Yellow's GO die is a 3, but it runs into the Orca after moving two spaces. Since a Penguin cannot pass the Orca, Yellow's movement ends.
Example (2/4): Yellow rolls the Seal Die to try and hide. They roll the Orca tail and are able to hide. They move to the back of the line.
Example (3/4): At the end of the round, the Orca Die is rolled and shows a 3, moving the Orca onto Green's space.
Example (4/4): Green rolls the Seal Die to try and hide, but they roll a 2/7. They Gobble Up a Fish token to reroll the die, but they roll a 3/5. Since Green has no more Fish tokens to reroll the die with, they are chased away and the Penguin in second (Purple) wins the game!
2-Player Rules
For a 2-player game, start by setting up as normal. Each player will also control a Waddlebot (a dummy Penguin) of an available color. Give each Waddlebot a Fish Token, Dice Cup, and one Penguin Die. Place each Waddlebot's items to the right of the player controlling them. Lastly, put the Waddlebots' Penguin Standees on the Penguin Start space.
Rounds are similar to a regular game:
- Players roll their own Penguin dice.
- Players select their GO and NO dice.
- Players roll their Waddlebot's die.
- All dice are revealed.
- Take turns going clockwise, with a Waddlebot taking its turn between the players.
- Roll and pass the Orca Die.
Waddlebots act like regular player Penguins, except that they will never use Fish Tokens to try and reroll their Penguin Die or the Seal Die. They always accept whatever result they get from these.
Each Waddlebot can:
- Push and be pushed, use slides, and gain Fish Tokens.
- Roll the Seal Die. If it shows two movement numbers, the Waddlebot always chooses the largest number.
- Roll and pass the Orca Die.
- Be surprised by the Orca. The Waddlebot tries to hide by rolling the Seal Die. The Waddlebot Gobbles Up its Fish Tokens to reroll as needed.
- Win the game!
If you enjoy the Waddlebots with 2 players, try adding them to other player counts for more Push Push Penguin action!