Pyramid Review
Jungle Speed
Distributed by Asmodée Editions
Created by Tom & Yako
Full-color card game with 80 cards (for the newer, extended version; the original set has 64), one wooden totem, jungle-print cloth drawstring bag, rules; $21.99
The competition in the jungles is savage, and only the most vicious creatures survive. Born of this hostile environment is one of the deadliest contests ever to arise from the Cradle of Civilization or one of those tropically forested areas archaeologists are so keen to dig up. Anyway, the game -- Jungle Speed -- is a whole lot easier to obtain and requires no plane tickets or immunization shots.
The object of the game is to be the first player to empty his deck of cards.
The deck is divided evenly among three to eight players, and each puts their portion in front of him. The cards show fancy little symbols of different colors. The totem, a wooden stick, is placed upright in the center of the table where everyone can get at it (lunge at it, really).
The first player flips his top card so everyone can see it. He must turn it away from himself, toward the center of the table, which means opponents have just a tiny advantage in seeing it first. Everyone does this in turn until someone reveals a card with a symbol that matches another already showing on the table. Those two rivals have a duel: The first to grab the totem wins the contest, and the loser has to take all the cards the winner has piled up in front of him so far. . . .
This article originally appeared in the second volume of Pyramid. See the current Pyramid website for more information.
Article publication date: March 14, 2008
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