How to play Animal Upon Animal if you hate rulebooks
I hate rulebooks! This condensed How to Play Animal upon Animal rules help players get the essential instructions without having to trawl rulebooks.
Game Overview
“Animal Upon Animal” is a stacking game for 2–4 players, recommended for ages 4 to 99. The objective is to stack animals as carefully as possible on top of each other, creating a pyramid of animals.
The first player to successfully stack all of their animals wins.
Game Setup
- Surface: The game should be played on a smooth, flat surface.
- Crocodile Placement: Select the crocodile from the animals and place it in the center of the table. It will be the first animal in the pyramid.
- Player Setup:
- Each player chooses seven different animals from the game set and places them in front of them as their “provision.”
- For Two or Three Players:
- If fewer than four players are participating, any extra animals that are not selected should be placed back in the box.
This setup ensures each player is ready with their animals and the game starts with the crocodile as the base of the pyramid.
Gameplay
Turn Order:
- Players take turns in clockwise order.
- The first player is the one who can balance on one foot like a flamingo for the longest time. If there’s no agreement, the youngest player rolls the die to start.
Die Symbols and Actions:
- One Dot: The player takes one animal from their provision and carefully stacks it anywhere on the pyramid using one hand.
- Two Dots: The player takes two animals from their provision and stacks them, one after the other, using one hand.
- Crocodile Symbol: The player places an animal from their provision next to the crocodile’s mouth or tail, so that both animals touch. This expands the stacking area for future turns.
The Hand Symbol:
- The player selects one of their animals and gives it to another player. That player must stack the animal on the pyramid using one hand.
The Question Mark Symbol:
- The other players decide which of the player’s animals must be stacked next. The chosen player must place that animal carefully on the pyramid with one hand.
Pyramid Collapse:
- If animals fall or the pyramid collapses, the stacking attempt ends immediately.
- If 1 or 2 animals fall: The player who was stacking takes them back into their provision.
- If more than 2 animals fall: The player takes two animals and returns the rest to the box.
- If the whole pyramid collapses: The player takes two animals, the crocodile is reset, and the remaining animals go back to the box.
- If animals fall without any player’s action: All fallen animals are returned to the box.
Winning the Game:
- The game ends when a player has no animals left. That player wins and is declared the best animal stacker of the day.
Animal Upon Animal Variant Rules
- Animal Distribution:
- If there are fewer than four players, the remaining animals should be randomly distributed among the players.
- Pyramid Collapse Penalty:
- When animals fall off the pyramid, the stacking player must take up to five animals, instead of the usual two.
- Final Animal Rule:
- When a player has only one animal left, they do not roll the die. They immediately stack their last animal on the pyramid.
- Solo Play:
- Players can attempt to stack as many animals as possible on the crocodile without causing the pyramid to collapse.
This variation increases the challenge for more skilled players by introducing tougher penalties and faster final moves.
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