Jungle Speed Safari is a compact game that can easily be taken on your travels, with all the pieces fitting into a small bag provided. Jungle Speed Safari consists of 42 cards, 5 differently coloured totems (each with a different picture of food on them), a rule book and the bag to keep them all in.
It is also a quick game, great for those who find themselves busy. My 6 year old loves Jungle Speed Safari (not only because it means I’m saying yes more to having time to play) but because it really is a game where he can outdo me, and stand a real chance of winning.
How to play Jungle Speed Safari
The totems are placed in the middle and the cards are shuffled then divided up by the number of players in the game (face down). Players have to flip the cards over from the back of the card, so that they do not get to peek at it before anyone else.
They must completely put the card down before they can do the action (determined by the card) as only one hand is to be used. The player must then act on what the card dependent on which type is turned over. The winner is the one who has the most cards on their score pile at the end of the game.
Jungle Speed Safari – The Cards
There are 12 “normal cards” (these are described as white but I think white and green would be a better description), if you turn this over you simply get to keep the card (and place it on your ‘score’ pile). I liked these cards as it meant that you had a good chance of having some sort of score at the end of the game.
Then there are fifteen “blue cards”, which represent the hungry animals. You have to be the first to grab the appropriate totem that has the right food for the animal on it (it does say which food it is in the instructions book (if in doubt or for younger players). That person then wins the card and places it on their score card. I think that the difficulty level of the game could be made higher by placing the totems upside down, so that you have to remember which food went with which colour.
Then there are 5 “angry” red cards. I have to admit these are fun, what you have to do is the action for the animal, with the last person to do so losing the top card from their pile. We have adapted the game for it to be the first person who does the impression wins that card (we have mainly played it as a 2 player game though).
There are 5 “chameleon” cards – where the chameleon is one of the colours of the totem pole. There are 2 ways to play, but we decided to play the version that is the first person to grab the corresponding totem. I may adapt this rule to be that it includes without knocking the other totems down, to increase the difficulty.
Finally there are 5 “The Hunter” cards – basically the player who turns over this card has to quickly put their hand over the top of other players’ piles before they can protect them (by covering them up). If The Hunter covers their own pile by mistake they ‘shoot themselves in the foot’ and that card goes out of game play. If The Hunter does not manage to get anyone else’s cards then they just keep The Hunter card.
How we got on with Jungle Speed Safari
I first thought that the game was a bit complicated and a lot to remember – but my bright 6 year old proved me wrong, and I too soon picked it up (but he is still quicker than me at remembering what to do for each of the different cards). Jungle Speed Safari is a game of 2-6 players recommended aged 5 and up. However, when I played it with my 6 year old, my youngest (aged 4 with special needs) also joined in. Although we did adapt the rules slightly I feel that he played it well, especially considering his cognitive delay. It really helped him further develop his turn taking, counting, matching, observation, as well as speed and the social element of game playing. I was proud of my 6 year old when the 4 year old got the right “food” for the right “animal” and told him well done – despite the fact that it was not a “food” card. He also was quick to tell me that two times 21 equals 42 (when we both drew).
Thanks to EsdeviumGames for providing with this fantastic game AND for one lucky reader!!!
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UK only. Ends 11/03/2014 0:00 GMT
I received a copy of Jungle Speed Safari and one is being sent directly for one lucky reader free of charge. All words, thoughts and opinions are my own.