Ubongo 3D Rulebook

Table of Contents

Game Components
Before Each Game
Game Rules
End of Game
Solo Variant
Credits

Game Components

72 Puzzle boards with 671 tasks
4 x 8 Puzzle pieces
58 Gems
- 19 Sapphires (blue)
- 19 Amber (brown)
- 10 Rubies (red)
- 10 Emeralds (green)
1 Cloth bag
1 Die
1 Hourglass

Before your first game, put all of the gems into the cloth bag.

Before Each Game

Each player receives a set of 8 puzzle pieces, one of each shape. In a game of fewer than four players, put the puzzle pieces that are not needed back into the box.
Decide which boards you want to play with. There are 4 different difficulty levels: Level 1 - Green, Level 2 - Yellow, Level 3 - Orange, Level 4 - Red.

Each puzzle board is marked with a task number, the puzzle pieces required for that task, the placement area, the difficulty level, and the board number.

You can all play the same difficulty level or with different difficulty levels. We recommend that younger children start to play level 1 and adults level 2, 3 or 4 (depending on ability).

This is a really simple way of ensuring that everyone has an equal chance.

Each player receives 9 puzzle boards of their chosen difficulty level. Turn all puzzle boards so that the side you want to play with faces down and place them as a stack in front of you, so that the tasks you will complete must initially be concealed. Place the boards that you don't need back into the box.
Take 9 sapphires (blue) and 9 ambers (brown) from the bag of gems. Make two rows out of these 18 gems in the centre of the table – one row with the 9 sapphires and one row with the 9 ambers.

These 2 x 9 gems are the gem display and are simultaneously used to count the rounds. The gems have different values:

Red = 4 points, Blue = 3 points, Green = 2 points, Brown = 1 point

Place the hourglass and the die on the table.

Game Rules

The game lasts nine rounds.

Round Sequence

Each player takes the top board from their stack. Turn your puzzle board over so that your chosen level is visible.
The youngest person now rolls the die. The number rolled indicates which task on their boards the players must complete as fast as possible.

Note: On some boards, several numbers are assigned to the same task.

A different player then turns the hourglass over.
Each player now attempts to solve their task. As soon as you have found the required puzzle pieces, the puzzle pieces must fit exactly within the black outline on no more than two levels and no overhanging pieces.
As soon as one of the players has managed to solve their task, they shout "Ubongo!".
The others continue to try to solve their task until the hourglass runs out.
As soon as a player notices that the hourglass has run out, they shout "stop". All players must immediately stop.

Second-Chance Round

If the hourglass has run out and no one has completed their task then a second chance round takes place. Flip the hourglass again and continue trying to cover your placement area.

If the previous situation repeats - i.e., nobody can cover their placement area before the hourglass runs out again - the round comes to an end.

Rewards

Each player who completes their task receives a reward:

The fastest player to fit the puzzle pieces exactly into their placement area and shout "Ubongo!" takes one blue sapphire from the gem display. In addition, they randomly take one gem from the bag.
The second fastest player receives one brown amber from the gem display. In addition, they randomly take one gem from the bag.
The third fastest player randomly takes one gem from the bag.
The fourth fastest player randomly takes one gem from the bag.

Any players who fail to complete the task before the hourglass runs out, do not collect a gem on this round.

End of the Round

The gem display comprising nine sapphires and nine ambers also serves as a round counter.

At the end of each round, the rows must contain exactly one blue sapphire and one brown amber fewer than when the round started.

However, it may happen that only one or none of the players completes his or her task before the hourglass runs out, in which case the number of gems on the track must be reduced accordingly at the end of the round.

If only one player was able to fit the puzzle pieces exactly onto his or her placement area, the brown amber representing this round must be removed and tossed into the bag.

If none of the players were able to complete the task, both the blue sapphire and the brown amber representing this round are removed and tossed into the bag.

At the end of the round, place all puzzle boards used in this round back in the box.

New Round

Everyone takes a new puzzle board from their stack.

The players take turns rolling the die and flipping the hourglass at the start of each round. The die is rolled and the hourglass is flipped by the players to the left of those who rolled and flipped in the previous round.

End of Game

The game ends after nine rounds – i.e. when there are no more gems left in the display.

Everyone now adds up the values of their gems collected. The gems have different values:

Red = 4 points, Blue = 3 points, Green = 2 points, Brown = 1 point

The player with the most points wins the game.

If various players tie for the highest score, a "playoff" takes place. Each tying player takes a puzzle board. One of the players rolls the die. The hourglass is not used. The first player to complete the task wins the whole game!

Example: One player has 1 red ruby, 1 blue sapphire, 3 green emeralds and 3 brown amber, at the end of the game. Therefore the player has 1x4 + 1x3 + 3x2 + 3x1 = 16 points.

Solo Variant

If you want to play Ubongo by yourself, you need a clock or stopwatch. Try to complete as many tasks as possible within five (or 10, or 20) minutes.

Another solo variant consists of measuring the time you need to complete five (or 10, or 20) tasks. If you get stuck in your task, you can put it aside and draw a new puzzle board. Write your results down and try to establish a new record each time you play.

Credits

Game Designer: Grzegorz Rejchtman, born in 1970 in Poland, lives in Monaco. A computer science and economics graduate, he prefers games that are fast to learn, communicative, and fun. He has published many games in Scandinavia and worldwide. Grzegorz Rejchtman and KOSMOS thank all of the play-testers and all the people who reviewed the game rules.

Art: Bernd Wagenfeld, Karl Homes, Nicolas Neubauer

Graphics: Sensit Communication, sensit.de

Editing: Ralph Querfurth

Ubongo 3D Rulebook

Table of Contents

Game Components
Before Each Game
Game Rules
End of Game
Solo Variant
Credits

Game Components

72 Puzzle boards with 671 tasks
4 x 8 Puzzle pieces
58 Gems
- 19 Sapphires (blue)
- 19 Amber (brown)
- 10 Rubies (red)
- 10 Emeralds (green)
1 Cloth bag
1 Die
1 Hourglass

Before your first game, put all of the gems into the cloth bag.

Before Each Game

Each player receives a set of 8 puzzle pieces, one of each shape. In a game of fewer than four players, put the puzzle pieces that are not needed back into the box.
Decide which boards you want to play with. There are 4 different difficulty levels: Level 1 - Green, Level 2 - Yellow, Level 3 - Orange, Level 4 - Red.

Each puzzle board is marked with a task number, the puzzle pieces required for that task, the placement area, the difficulty level, and the board number.

You can all play the same difficulty level or with different difficulty levels. We recommend that younger children start to play level 1 and adults level 2, 3 or 4 (depending on ability).

This is a really simple way of ensuring that everyone has an equal chance.

Each player receives 9 puzzle boards of their chosen difficulty level. Turn all puzzle boards so that the side you want to play with faces down and place them as a stack in front of you, so that the tasks you will complete must initially be concealed. Place the boards that you don't need back into the box.
Take 9 sapphires (blue) and 9 ambers (brown) from the bag of gems. Make two rows out of these 18 gems in the centre of the table – one row with the 9 sapphires and one row with the 9 ambers.

These 2 x 9 gems are the gem display and are simultaneously used to count the rounds. The gems have different values:

Red = 4 points, Blue = 3 points, Green = 2 points, Brown = 1 point

Place the hourglass and the die on the table.

Game Rules

The game lasts nine rounds.

Round Sequence

Each player takes the top board from their stack. Turn your puzzle board over so that your chosen level is visible.
The youngest person now rolls the die. The number rolled indicates which task on their boards the players must complete as fast as possible.

Note: On some boards, several numbers are assigned to the same task.

A different player then turns the hourglass over.
Each player now attempts to solve their task. As soon as you have found the required puzzle pieces, the puzzle pieces must fit exactly within the black outline on no more than two levels and no overhanging pieces.
As soon as one of the players has managed to solve their task, they shout "Ubongo!".
The others continue to try to solve their task until the hourglass runs out.
As soon as a player notices that the hourglass has run out, they shout "stop". All players must immediately stop.

Second-Chance Round

If the hourglass has run out and no one has completed their task then a second chance round takes place. Flip the hourglass again and continue trying to cover your placement area.

If the previous situation repeats - i.e., nobody can cover their placement area before the hourglass runs out again - the round comes to an end.

Rewards

Each player who completes their task receives a reward:

The fastest player to fit the puzzle pieces exactly into their placement area and shout "Ubongo!" takes one blue sapphire from the gem display. In addition, they randomly take one gem from the bag.
The second fastest player receives one brown amber from the gem display. In addition, they randomly take one gem from the bag.
The third fastest player randomly takes one gem from the bag.
The fourth fastest player randomly takes one gem from the bag.

Any players who fail to complete the task before the hourglass runs out, do not collect a gem on this round.

End of the Round

The gem display comprising nine sapphires and nine ambers also serves as a round counter.

At the end of each round, the rows must contain exactly one blue sapphire and one brown amber fewer than when the round started.

If only one player was able to fit the puzzle pieces exactly onto his or her placement area, the brown amber representing this round must be removed and tossed into the bag.

If none of the players were able to complete the task, both the blue sapphire and the brown amber representing this round are removed and tossed into the bag.

At the end of the round, place all puzzle boards used in this round back in the box.

New Round

Everyone takes a new puzzle board from their stack.

End of Game

The game ends after nine rounds – i.e. when there are no more gems left in the display.

Everyone now adds up the values of their gems collected. The gems have different values:

Red = 4 points, Blue = 3 points, Green = 2 points, Brown = 1 point

The player with the most points wins the game.

Example: One player has 1 red ruby, 1 blue sapphire, 3 green emeralds and 3 brown amber, at the end of the game. Therefore the player has 1x4 + 1x3 + 3x2 + 3x1 = 16 points.

Solo Variant

If you want to play Ubongo by yourself, you need a clock or stopwatch. Try to complete as many tasks as possible within five (or 10, or 20) minutes.

Credits

Art: Bernd Wagenfeld, Karl Homes, Nicolas Neubauer

Graphics: Sensit Communication, sensit.de

Editing: Ralph Querfurth