Splat!
Splat! Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Object
Be the first player to get two of your bugs to the box of cookies.
Contents
- Gameboard
- 4 Cans of Squish-It Dough
- 1 Bug-O-Matic Bug Maker
- 1 Splatter Hand
- 12 SPLAT! Cards
- 2 Dice
If you run out of dough: No problem! Play-Doh is perfect for all of your bug-squishin' needs. Look for Play-Doh wherever toys and games are sold.
Conforms to ASTM D-4236.
The First Time You Play
Carefully punch out the 12 SPLAT! cards from the cardboard sheet. Discard the waste.
Remove the Splatter Hand from the plastic runner and set it aside.
Remove the Bug-O-Matic body front, body back, head, and plunger from the plastic runner. Discard the runner.
Remove the Bug-O-Matic cylinder from the plastic bag.
Assemble the Bug-O-Matic as shown in Figure 1.
Bug-O-Matic Assembly
- Push the plunger into the cylinder until it snaps in place.
- Slip the head into the top of the cylinder as shown.
- Fit the body front and the body back around the cylinder and press the body pieces together tightly to secure.
Making Your Bugs
To start off the game, each player needs two bugs.
Choose your can of Squish-It Dough. The container lid shows the color of the dough inside. Make two bugs as shown in Figure 2. All players do the same.
Important! Each player must have two bugs in play at all times. As the game progresses, and bugs get "splatted," everyone will get the chance to make more bugs!
How to Make Bugs
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Remove a small wad of dough from the container and press it flat on a table to a thickness of about 1/4". Press the Bug-O-Matic into the center of the dough until the cylinder is flush with the table top and the bug head pops up.
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Press down on the bug head and then twist the Bug-O-Matic first clockwise and then counterclockwise to loosen the surrounding dough.
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Lift the Bug-O-Matic from the surrounding dough. Press the head down and remove the bug from the plunger.
Place any unused dough back in its container. Be certain to close the container lid securely to prevent the dough from drying out.
Game Setup
Shuffle the SPLAT! cards and place them in a pile facedown on the DRAW section of the gameboard.
Place the Splatter Hand, the Bug-O-Matic, and the dice within easy reach of all players.
Place your two bugs behind the START line on the gameboard. All players do the same. It's now time to play!
How to Play
The youngest player goes first. Play then continues to the left.
On Your Turn
Roll the two dice and move one of your bugs along the gamepath the number of spaces shown on the dice. (If you roll doubles, see ROLLING DOUBLES on page 7.)
As the game progresses, you must always move your bug that is farther away from the FINISH line.
When moving, jump over any bugs in front of you—even "splatted" ones. Do not count any spaces that you jump over. See Figure 3 for an example.
Figure 3: Your bugs are yellow. On a dice roll of 4, move your bug as shown. (The figure marks the SPLATTED BUGS.)
After you finish your move, your turn is over—unless you land on a SPLAT! space!
SPLAT! Spaces
Landing on a SPLAT! space means you may get to splat some bugs. And splattin' bugs is where it's at—unless the bug that you get to splat is your own!
When you land on a SPLAT! space, turn over the top SPLAT! card and place it in the DISCARD section. (If you run out of cards, just re-shuffle!) The card will show a bug standing on a background that matches the color of some gameboard spaces.
Now splat all bugs on the spaces that match the color on the SPLAT! card—even bugs on SPLAT! spaces matching that color! (See SPLATTING A BUG on page 7.) See Figure 4 for an example.
Figure 4: You draw a blue SPLAT! card. You now get to splat all the bugs on blue spaces.
After drawing a SPLAT! card and splatting any bugs, your turn is over.
"Safe" Spaces
The three SPLAT! spaces with black and yellow lines are considered "Safe" spaces. When you land on a "Safe" space, follow the rules for SPLAT! spaces. What makes a "Safe" space so special is that a bug on any of these spaces cannot be splatted!
After drawing a SPLAT! card and splatting any bugs, your turn is over.
Splatting a Bug
To SPLAT a bug, take the Splatter Hand and SLOWLY push the palm down on top of the bug until the bug is squished flat on the gameboard space. Gently wiggle the Splatter Hand off of the squished bug. The "splatted" bug is then left on the gameboard for the remainder of the game.
New Bugs
Remember, you must have two bugs in play at all times. If one of your bugs gets "splatted," you must immediately make a new bug and place it behind the START line. (See HOW TO MAKE BUGS on page 4.)
Rolling Doubles
If you roll doubles, you may EITHER take a regular turn and move one of your bugs the number rolled, OR, instead of moving, you may SPLAT any one bug on the gameboard that is not on a "Safe" space.
Winning the Game
The first player to get two bugs across the FINISH line to the box of cookies wins the game!
It's Clean Up Time!
When you are finished playing, remove any Squish-It Dough remaining on the gameboard, Bug-O-Matic and Splatter Hand. Place the dough in its proper container. Snap the container lid tightly into place. Do not mix dough colors. Gently wipe the gameboard with a damp cloth to remove any dough residue.
If any dough has dried on the Bug-O-Matic or Splatter Hand, simply soak the part in warm water for a few minutes to soften the dough so that it can be removed. If it becomes necessary to disassemble your Bug-O-Matic in order to clean it thoroughly, do so as follows:
- Pull apart the body front and the body back.
- Push the head all the way down to disengage the plunger from the cylinder.
To remove dough from carpets or fabrics, remove any excess dough and allow the remaining dough to dry thoroughly. Loosen the dried dough with a stiff brush and then vacuum the area clean. If necessary, wash the area with mild soap, cold water, and a brush. Do not use hot water or cleaning solutions.
How to Soften Your Squish-It Dough
If your Squish-It Dough becomes hard, stiff or dry, simply add a few drops of warm water to the dough and knead until soft.