The sequel to the 1990s Jumanji movie, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, has people wondering how to play the game all over again. The original movie, based on a book by Chris Van Allsburg, tells the tale of a mysterious board game that brings adventure and mishap to players. The sequel, set twenty-one years after the original, follows four teens transported into a video game world of Jumanji, where many of the same jungle-themed experiences occur.

So how do you play Jumanji? And should you even consider doing so if it’s going to bring to life the jungle creatures seen in the movie?

Chances are you don’t need to worry about hunter or larger than life bugs or rhinos, even if you do plan to play your own real-life version of Jumanji. It’s a fun board game for people of all ages who love the movies or the book.

Here’s how:

To play Jumanji, you’ll need a replica board, four pawns, a rhino figurine, a timer, rescue die, a multi-sided die, 30 experience cards, and a decoder plate.

To begin, place the board on a table, floor, or other flat surface between the players. Give each player a token of their choice. Set the decoder plate in a position so it’s the main attraction of the board and not able to be jostled or moved by players.

Players should place their tokens near the edge of the board that coordinates with their corresponding color. Each player also needs to have a rescue die. Finally, place the experience cards facing down on the board within reach of all players.

Next, decide who should go first. That person rolls the multi-sided die and move their token that many spaces.

During each turn, you’ll be prompted to do one thing out of four based on where you advance on the board. Blank spaces mean the player should pull an experience card and with the decoder plate read its short message that includes something on the rescue dice, as well as a number.

Players who are not taking a turn should roll their rescue die simultaneously as they flip the clock. If all players coordinate whatever directive is on their card with their rescue die, or they are able to come up with an hourglass during their roll, all of them should push ahead however many space listed on the card.

Should the non-turn taking players be unable to protect the player whose turn it is by coordinating their actions or achieving an hourglass roll, the player whose turn it is need to go back however many spaces the experience card prompts them to move and the card is placed on one of the empty spots in the doomsday matrix located to the left side on the playing board.

Next, the rhino token must be moved in case someone lands on the rhino space. That player cannot push ahead during his or her turn without rolling the proper number. Odd numbers mean they need to stay up and follow the instructions. If a blocked player is prompted to reverse by an experience car, the rhino is forced to move with them and blocking them as they move ahead.

The player to the left must try to roll a 5 or an 8 to close their turn. If they can’t accomplish this, the person to their right must move one space back and hand the card off to the side and the next player must try to roll the 5 or 8. This continues around the circle of players until the 5 or 8 is rolled.

Next, choose a card from the deck of experience cards. If you should land on a circle or “wilderness” space, place the card at the center of the decoder plate. The players should try to coordinate as far as possible according to the clock. If they fail, the card must be placed over the doomsday section and the player must draw another card. This continues on until everyone has coordinated and is able to move their pieces.

The game ends when players reach the center of the board. The first player to accomplish this is the winner. Should the doomsday matrix fill prior to any player reaching the focal point, the game will close and must be started again in order to complete.

Jumanji Game Boards

Obviously, the elaborate game board is an essential part of playing Jumanji in real life. You can make your own – which is a tough challenge – or you can purchase one of the great hand-crafted Jumanji replica game boards available for sale. As magical as these boards are, there’s a good chance the experiences that players had in the movie won’t happen for players in real life – though we can’t guarantee anything!

The game is created for two to four players, and we’ve found it to be the greatest amount of fun when the higher recommended number of players participates.

Out of the Jumanji game boards available for sale, we love the following options:

Cardinal Games Jumanji the Game Play Anywhere Edition (Travel Size)

This game offers all of the adventure of the original Jumanji movie.

Cardinal Games Jumanji the Game Action

Standard sized board game perfect for at home play.

The Jumanji board game is a great option for those who loved the movie – the original or the sequel. It allows players to continue the adventure right in their own homes, and recreate many of the same experiences the players in the movies had. It’s also a great game for those who loved the original books. If your child or anyone else in your life loved the story of Jumanji, or they’ve taken a liking to either of the movies, consider giving them one of these great board games that makes playing Jumanji in real life a possibility!