How to Play Don’t Wake Daddy Rules if you hate rulebooks
I hate the hassle of reading rulebooks and wish they could get straight to the point. I wrote this guide with the aim of helping you learn how to play Don’t Wake Daddy quickly.
If you are looking for a Don’t Wake Daddy game overview, understand its gameplay and appeal, click here for our summary and video, click here.
Players: 2 to 4 | Game duration from: 20 mins | Game Complexity: EASY
What is the Don’t Wake Daddy Game about?
Daddy is in the middle of the gameboard with a nightcap on his head. Players try to tiptoe from their bed on the gameboard to the refrigerator for a midnight snack. Whatever they do, don’t wake daddy!
How many cards do you start with in Don’t Wake Daddy?
16 cards are shuffled and dealt equally to each player.
Don’t Wake Daddy Game Setup
Put Daddy’s bed in the middle of the board, with his nightcap on his head.
Press Daddy flat into the bed. At the start of the track, players place their chosen colored mover in the matching colored bed.
Shuffle and deal the 16 cards equally to each player. All players start at the staring point on the game board.
Step-by-step How to Play Don’t Wake Daddy Game Rules
Step-by-step rules and gameplay of Don’t Wake Daddy board game. The youngest player goes first and play passes to the left. Daddy is in the middle wearing a nightcap. You tiptoe from your bed on the gameboard to the refrigerator for a midnight snack and try not to wake daddy!
Spin Don’t Wake Daddy Spinner on your turn
Spin the Don’t Wake Daddy Spinner. If you spin colour, your character will be moved to the first unoccupied space of that color.
Spinning the purple star
If you spin the Purple star, move your character to the space right in front of the leader! If you’re already the leader, spin again. Note: If there are no other players on the track, move to the very first space on the track.
Landing on a space
If you land on a plain colored space without a picture and number: You’re safe!
A space with a picture and number: If you have a card in your hand that matches the space you landed on, you’re safe, and your turn ends; keep the card. If you don’t have a card that matches the space, push the Alarm Clock button the number of times indicated on the space.
Pushing the Alarm Clock button
If Daddy pops up in bed — do two things:
1) Obtain the matching card from the player who has it (so that if you land on that spot again, you won’t suffer! ) and
2) Go all the way back to your own bed at the start of the track! (Remember, if you spin the purple star, you’ll jump to the front!)
If Daddy sleeps through the alarm, stay on that space until your next turn.
Winning Don’t Wake Daddy
When nearing the end of the track, if you spin a color and there are no more track spaces left of that color, you move onto the rainbow.
The first player to land on the Rainbow Refrigerator wins.
