Gamehelpmonkey

Goal of the Game

Be the first monkey to reach the top of the tree, complete the Treetop Challenge, and dodge Kurgill’s traps to win!

Game Overview

Monkey is a lighthearted game of memory, math, and mischief, as players race to outclimb each other while dodging wild spells from the kooky wizard Kurgill.

Each turn, draw a Tree card then face a Spell card from Kurgill. Most spells slow you down—some might help! If your turn isn't cut short, use two actions to climb, draw more cards, or set traps. First to conquer the Treetop Challenge wins!

Game Play

1. Flip over a spell card and apply its effects.

2. Actions (total of 2 action points):

a. Draw a tree card (1 AP), or

b. Attempt to climb the tree (1 AP), or

c. Set traps on your opponent (1 AP / 2 traps)

Beating the 3 cards at the Treetop must be done all at once. This action cost 2 AP. Note that some spell will take away 1 AP from you.

Climbing

CLIMBING THE TRUNK

To climb the tree, a player spends 1 AP to attempt a climb at their current position. This flips the Trunk card at that level—its number is the climb difficulty. Beating it requires playing Tree cards from your hand that add up to more than that number.

Color Matters!

  1. If the Trunk card is colored, use Tree cards of a different color.

  2. If the Trunk card is black, use only black cards.

  3. Wild 20s can be used to climb any color.

If you succeed, you:

  - Move up 1 position (unless blocked by Monkey Traps).

  - Discard the cards you used.

  - Flip the Trunk card back face-down.

If you fail:

  - Fall down 1 position.

  - Keep any cards you played—they go back to your hand.

  - Flip the Trunk card back face-down.

Climbing successfully moves your Monkey up one position toward the Treetop, where the final challenge awaits!

BEATING THE TREETOP CHALLENGE

Once you're at the Treetop, spend 2 Action Points (AP) to take the Treetop Challenge. One by one, reveal each of the 3 Treetop cards and try to beat them just like Trunk cards—matching color rules and using climbing cards that total more than the card’s value.

If you beat a card, you'll be setting aside the cards you use (they will be checked against the Treetop Traps at the very end!). Continue until you’ve beaten all 3 Treetop cards to complete the challenge.

Traps

Traps are cards players secretly set against each other to mess with their climb attempts. You resolve traps AFTER a successful climb. Numbers on the trap cards are compared against those you used in your climbing attempt. If any of trap cards match the # values of any cards you used to climb, your climb fails and you remain at the same level.

You can only set traps against players at the trunk.

The maximum traps you can set on a player is 4 (... but Kurgill has ways of adding more!)

Spells

█▬ Anvil: Ouch! You only get 1 AP this turn.

🪓 Axe: Chop chop! Replace a Trunk/Treetop or remove a trap from any player! (yes, you can be nice and chop a trap for your opponent).

🥊 Boxing Gloves: Monkey fight! All players fight—winner gets a card, loser falls.

🍌 Banana: Yum! Draw a bonus Tree card! (Yay!)

💣 Dynamite: Boom! Player to your left steals one of your cards!

🧚 Pixie: Peek! Peek at a Tree card!

🐦 Bird: Block! These spells ban a number for the rest of the game!

🎢 Slide: Wheeeee! Fall down 1!

🧌 Gnome: You got gnomed! 🙈 Prepare yourself, this one is baaaad:

  - Fall down 1 position

  - Receive 2 Monkey Traps (even if you're over the limit)

  - Your turn ends immediately

  - Then, reshuffle the Spell discard pile back into the deck—Gnome’s coming back!

It’s chaotic, sneaky, and super annoying... just like a gnome.