Components
- 25 wooden polar bears (5 each of 5 different colors)
- 2 custom dice
- 1 game board
- Instructions
Object of the Game
Score the most points by rolling the dice to collect high scoring polar bears.
Setup
Unfold the gameboard and place it in the center of the playing area. Stand all of the polar bears on their skates in random order on the board.
Game Play
The last person to eat vanilla ice cream starts the game and play continues to the left. Start your turn by rolling both dice. There are four possible outcomes:
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Split Colors - Take polar bears from the middle
If the dice show two different colors, you may take one matching polar bear for each color (total of two) from the middle and pull them towards you.
Alternatively, you may take only one of the two possible polar bears, but you must take at least one.
f neither color polar bear is available from the middle, you lose your turn, as described under "Roll Again".
Example: If you roll one green die and one blue die, you may take one green and one blue polar bear from the middle.
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Double Colors - Take polar bears from opponents.
If the dice show two identical colors, you may take two polar bears of the corresponding color from your opponents.
You may either take two polar bears from one opponent or one polar bear from two opponents.
You may choose to take only one of the two possible polar bears, but you must take at least one.
If no opponent has a matching color polar bear, you lose your turn, as described under "Roll Again".
Example: If you roll two white dice, you may take two white polar bears from any opponent, or one white polar bear from one opponent and a second white polar bear from another.
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Free Skate - Take your choice.
If either die lands on Free Skate you may count it as any color that you wish.
Example: If you roll a pink die and a Free Skate, you may either take one pink polar bear and one polar bear of any color from the middle, or you may count the Free Skate as another pink and take two pink polar bears from opponents.
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Double Free Skate - Take another turn.
If both dice land on Free Skate, you may immediately take all of the bears that you have pulled towards you into your possession (they are now safe) and take another turn.
Remember: If at any time you are unable take at least one polar bear after a roll, you lose your turn, as described under "Roll Again".
Now decide whether to roll again or end your turn:
Roll Again
Roll both dice again and proceed as above. However, you may not take polar bears of a color of which you have already pulled towards you.
As long as you are able to take at least one polar bear in a roll, you may decide whether to roll again or whether to end your turn, and so on.
Since you are not allowed to choose colors that you have already pulled towards you, it gets increasingly harder to take new polar bears.
If you are unable to take at least one polar bear after your roll, you lose your turn and must return all the polar bears you pulled during the current turn to the middle.
Example: On your first roll you rolled and pulled one of each matching colored polar bear toward you from the middle.
You decide to roll again and rolled.
Since you already have an orange polar bear from your first roll, you may only pull a pink polar bear from the middle.
You decide to roll a third time and got.
Since you already have both of those colored polar bears in front of you, you cannot not take any polar bears from the middle, which means that you must return all of the polar bears you pulled towards you and lose your turn.
End your Turn
When you decide to end your turn, take all the polar bears you pulled towards you into your possession. These polar bears are now safe: you cannot lose them on future turns, but they may still be taken by other players if they roll doubles.
Important Note: When you have polar bears in your possession, keep any new polar bears you pull towards you in future turns separate.
You might lose your turn and have to return the new polar bears to the middle. Only add new polar bears to your possession after you have successfully ended your turn.
End of the Game
The game ends when there are no more polar bears left in the middle of the playing area.
At this point, all players add up the values of the numbers on their polar bears. The player with the highest total wins. Ties are broken in favor of the player with the most polar bears.
For a longer game, play as many games as there are players. After each game, record the totals for each player. At the end, the player with the highest overall total wins.
Variations
Younger Players: When playing with younger children, simply count each polar bear as 1 at the end of the game.
+No-risk Version: If you pull a polar bear towards you, immediately take it into your possession (it is now safe) and then continue your turn.
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