Question 1

What is the Jungle board game?

Accepted Answer

Jungle, or Dou Shou Qi (鬥獸棋, "Game of Fighting Animals"), is a Chinese two player board game played on a 7×9 grid with eight ranked animals per side. It is also sold in English as Animal Chess or Jungle Chess.

Question 2

How do you win at Jungle?

Accepted Answer

Move any one of your animals into the opponent's den, or capture every enemy animal. A player who has no legal move on their turn also loses.

Question 3

Why can the rat beat the elephant?

Accepted Answer

It is the game's one deliberate loop in the rank ladder — the smallest animal brings down the largest. The rat may only do it from a land square, never from the water, and in the standard rules the elephant can still capture the rat in return.

Question 4

Which animals can cross the river?

Accepted Answer

Only the rat may actually enter the water. The lion and the tiger jump straight over a river to the first dry square beyond it, and may capture an equal or lower ranked animal on the landing square — unless a rat of either colour is sitting in the water in between, which blocks the jump.

Question 5

What do the traps do in Jungle?

Accepted Answer

Each den is surrounded by three traps. Any animal may step onto any trap, but one standing in an opponent's trap has its rank reduced to 0, so any enemy animal can capture it. The rank comes straight back when it moves off.

Question 6

Can I play Jungle online for free?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Arcadia runs Jungle free in your browser against an AI opponent on three difficulty levels, with no download and no account required.

RANK BEATS RANK

RIVERS, TRAPS, DEN

RANK BEATS RANK

RIVERS, TRAPS, DEN

THE BOARD

RANK ORDER

THE RAT

LEAPING THE RIVER

TRAPS AND DENS

WINNING