Jungo

• Designer: 荒尾 俊樹 (Toshiki Arao)
• Publisher: Happy Camper Games
• Players: 2-5
• Age: 6+
• Time: 15 minutes
• Played with review copy provided by publisher
• Amazon affiliate link: https://amzn.to/4lHsYlE

Jungo is a hand-building game in which you try to be the first player to get rid of your cards. Be the first to get rid of your cards! On your turn, beat a previous player’s combination by playing cards that are all the same number, AND adjacent in your hand, AND stronger than the cards in play. Then decide what to do with the cards you’ve beaten: keep them to strengthen your hand – or discard them to get closer to victory. A simple game full of not-so-simple choices!

From the deck, players get a hand of cards that they cannot rearrange. The starting player leads a card or set of cards with the same value — but they can play multiple cards only if the cards are adjacent to one another in their hand. If cards have been played on the table, to play you must play the same number of cards with a higher value or a larger set of cards, e.g., 2 < 5 < 3,3 < 6,6 < 2,2,2 < 1,1,1,1. When you overplay someone, you can pick up the cards you beat and add them to your hand where you wish, or you can discard them.

If you cannot or choose not to play, you must pass, drawing a card from a facedown pile; some cards have two values on them, e.g., 1/2 or 5/6, and can be played as either number. You either add this card to your hand where you wish, discard it, or — calling on the law of the “jungo” — play it immediately as part of a combination from your hand that beats what’s on the table.

If all but one player pass, clear the table, with the player who last played leading to an empty table.

Whoever first empties their hand wins! Alternatively, since the game is short, play multiple rounds, with the first player to win two rounds winning the game.

My thoughts on the game

Well, this is the second version of the game that I have played which originated from Hachi Train (Ateam, 2021).  Interestingly, there are a number of changes made here which really make it feel different from it’s cousin, Nanatoridori (Arclight, 2023)

First, the deck composition is a little different – the card ranks go from 1 to 8, and there are the new double cards which give a bit more flexibility as they can be used for either of the two ranks printed on them. Second, the “law of the Jungo” rule lets play move along a bit faster as you are able to make a play on a turn that you draw cards IF the card you drew can be used in a play.   Finally, and perhaps most importantly, Jungo has a winner (the first person to empty their hand) as opposed to having only a single loser.  In Nanatoridori, the last player left with cards was the loser and all other players “won”.  

For me, the flip-flopping of the win condition is a huge change.  The game no longer can outstay its welcome; if anything, it barely has time to take off its shoes before the game is shown the door again.  Only one hand is played to determine a winner instead of playing multiple hands until someone loses twice.  Sure, you can play the longer variant where you play until someone wins twice, which may be a hand or two too many, but of course YMMV.  Either way, I much prefer the game with a single winner rather than the “point and laugh at the single loser” ending of Nanatoridori (and seen at times in the original Hachi Train). 

The sudden death win condition also changes how you approach each hand.  When you are simply trying not to lose, there was a very viable strategy to draw cards for multiple rounds at the start – adding cards to your hand in order to make a set of strong combinations to allow you to not be last.  In Jungo, you cannot stall that long!  There is definitely more time pressure to start playing cards because only the first person out will succeed in the game.  The ability to play your drawn card also gives you the chance to get a lucky draw.

The art in Jungo is simple and well done.  Most important for me is that each rank has its own color and they are bright and prominent in each corner.  The monkeys in the middle of each card are cute, but ultimately, have no bearing on game play.  As someone who plays with leftys, the quad indexing is also appreciated so that the cards can be read no matter how they are splayed.

Is this game strictly better than its predecessors?  Actually, no, I don’t think so.  There is obviously a common backbone to them all, but each brings an interesting take on that foundation.  For my personal tastes, Jungo is the one I would choose to keep if forced to have only one, but I know that others feel differently.   I’d be happy to play any of the three versions, but this is one that currently lives in my game collection, and I’m sure it will continue to get play over the rest of the year here.

Ratings from the Opinionated Gamers

• I love it!
• I like it. Dale Y
• Neutral. John P
• Not for me…

Amazon affiliate link:  https://amzn.to/4lHsYlE