Gamehelpdoubutsujungo

Overview

Doubutsu Jungo is an abstract game for 2 players. Players take turns placing animal tokens numbered 1 to 5 on a 5×5 board, always in the same order: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 1, 2, ...

Sandwich or surround tokens to capture them and keep them as your own tokens. When the pile runs out, players must place the required number from their own captured tokens. If you cannot place it, you lose!

Components

• 1 board with 5×5 squares
• 25 animal tokens: 5 tokens of each number from 1 to 5 (each number shows a different animal)

Tokens on the board do not belong to any player.

Setup

• The board starts empty.
• Put all 25 tokens in the pile.
• The first player places number 1.

Playing a turn

The number to place always follows this order: 1 → 2 → 3 → 4 → 5 → 1 → ...

The first player places 1, the second player places 2, the first player places 3, and so on.

On your turn:

1. Take one token with the required number. While the pile has tokens, take it from the pile. When the pile is empty, take it from your own captured tokens.
2. Place it on any empty square.
3. If your token sandwiches or surrounds other tokens, capture them (see below).

Capturing

Both sandwich and surround captures can happen on the same turn.

Sandwich

• Look from the token you placed in all 8 directions (horizontal, vertical and diagonal).
• If there is an unbroken line of one or more tokens, followed by a token with the same number as the one you placed, all tokens between them are captured.
• The line ends at the first token with the same number.
• Example: you place a 3. To its right are a 1, a 4 and then a 3. The 1 and the 4 are captured.

Surround

• A group of tokens connected horizontally or vertically is captured when every side of the group is closed off by tokens with the same number as the one you placed, or by the edge of the board.
• Only horizontal and vertical neighbors count. Corners and edges of the board can be used.
• The tokens inside the group can have different numbers.
• Only groups that touch the token you just placed (horizontally or vertically) can be captured.
• Example: a 2 is in a corner of the board, with a 5 next to it. You place a 5 on its other side. The 2 is surrounded by 5s and the edges, so it is captured.

Captured tokens

• Captured tokens are removed from the board and kept by the player who captured them. These are your own tokens.
• The squares they leave become empty again.

Safe placement

• Only the player who places a token can capture.
• You can place a token on a square where it is already sandwiched or surrounded. It is not captured.
• A group that is already surrounded is not captured later by a token placed somewhere else.

End of the game

The pile runs out after the 25th token is placed. From then on, players must place the required number from their own captured tokens.

If you cannot place the required number, you lose the game.

Tips

• Plan ahead to keep the right animals in hand.
• After the pile runs out, the second player needs 1, 3, 5, 2, 4, ... and the first player needs 2, 4, 1, 3, 5, ...
• Capturing many tokens is not always good. What matters is having the numbers you will need.