Each player receives 9 game boards (in the same animal order) and the group decides which side they are going to use (3 or 4 shapes per puzzle).

The dice is rolled once each round to determine which puzzle number on the game board is played. Each player then takes the indicated game pieces associated with that puzzle.

The timer is turned over and all players simultaneously try to position their 3 or 4 game pieces so that they completely cover the white area at a 2-level height.

Components

• 36 game boards
• 40 game pieces in different shapes
• 58 gem
• 1 10-sided die
• 1 timer
• 1 cloth bag
• 1 Solution Book
• Rulebook

Object of the Game

Setup

1. Separate the 36 game boards into 4 stacks of 9, each of which should include one of the 9 animal symbols and be ordered in the same way for each stack. Give each player one stack and return any unused boards to the box.

2. The players decide together whether to use the simpler side of the game board (three shapes per task) or the more difficult side (four shapes per task).

3. The 40 game pieces should be placed in the middle of the table in easy reach of all players.

4. Take 9 sapphires (blue) and 9 amber (brown) gems and put them in two rows with the amber row on top. These will be given out to the two fastest players (or be put back in the bag) each round and used to keep track of the rounds.

5. Give the dice to the youngest player and the timer to the oldest player.

Game Play

The game is played over 9 rounds.

Each round:

1. Each player takes the top player board from their stack so that everyone has the same animal showing. The youngest player then rolls the die. That number indicates which puzzle is selected for this round.

2. Each player should select the exact shapes that are next to the number rolled on the dice. The white spaces to be used for the puzzle are the ones in the same section of the player board that the die roll is located (i.e. upper or lower).

3. Once each player has selected their depicted shapes, the timer should be turned over.

4. Simultaneously, each player should use their shapes to attempt to completely cover the appropriate white spaces exactly two levels high. No part of any shape should be outside the white spaces nor should any shape be higher than 2 levels.

5. Anyone who solves the task before the timer runs out should yell "Ubongo!" The other players should continue to try to solve the task.

Reward

• The 1st player who solved his puzzle successfully takes 1 blue sapphire from the display and immediately draws an additional gem randomly from the bag.

• The 2nd fastest player takes 1 brown amber from the display and draws an additional gem randomly from the bag.

• The 3rd & 4th players to solve their puzzle pull one gem randomly from the bag.

If no player solves their puzzle before the timer runs out, a Second Chance round begins:

If the timer runs out and no one has solved the puzzle, there is a second-chance round. The timer is restarted and the players continue to try to solve the puzzle.

In the 2nd chance round, only the 1st player to solve the puzzle gets to draw 1 gem randomly from the bag. The round ends immediately when this occurs and the other players get nothing.

Remove a blue and brown gem from the display and place them back in the bag (they will not be awarded).

End of the Round

The players put the game pieces they were using back into the middle of the table and place the player boards just used back in the box.

The Next round will begin with each player drawing a new player board from their stack (so that each player has the same animal) and the youngest player rolling the die to determine which puzzle is played.

End of the Game

If several players are ties with the highest total, a final tiebreaker round is played by only the tied players. The timer is not used, and the 1st player to solve the puzzle is declared the winner.

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