Jackaroo is a 4-player game based on partnership. Each set of opposing players forms a team. The game uses a standard deck of 52 cards without jokers and includes 16 playing pieces (4 pieces per player), each of a single color.
Game Zones
１. Home Zone: 4 zones, one for each player.
２. Base Zone: 4 zones, one for each player.
３. Safe Zone: 4 zones, one for each player.
４. Track Zone: A common track for all players.
５. Fire Pile Zone.
６. Card Pile Zone.
Cards and Distribution
The objective is to move the playing pieces from Home to Base, then through the Track to the Safe zone. The team that successfully places all 8 playing pieces into their Safe zone first wins the game.
Each player selects 4 playing pieces of the same color and places them in their Home. The dealer then distributes 4 cards to each player. The remaining cards form the Card Pile.
Card functions in Jackaroo differ from other card games:
· Ace: Can be used to move any playing piece from Home to Base or advance a piece in the Track by 1 or 11 steps.
· King: Moves any playing piece from Home to Base.
· Jack: Swaps any opponent's playing piece with another, provided neither piece is in Home, Base, or Safe zones.
· 7 Cards: Can be divided into steps for moving two playing pieces by the given value.
· 4 Cards: Moves any playing piece backwards by 4 steps.
· Other Cards: Allow the player to move one playing piece forwards as per the card's face value.
How to Play
１. Players randomly choose the dealer, who shuffles and deals 4 cards to each player.
２. The game starts with the player to the left of the dealer, proceeding clockwise.
３. After all cards are played, the Fire Pile cards are shuffled and placed in the Card Pile.
４. The dealer position rotates to the next player, and the game continues.
５. The game concludes when a team successfully places all 8 playing pieces into their Safe zone.
Special Rules
- If a playing piece lands on another, it is returned to its Home.
- A playing piece on its own Base cannot be bypassed, killed, or swapped.
- A player cannot skip their own turn under any circumstances.
- In the case of two consecutive playing pieces, the front piece is considered the "Base" and cannot be bypassed, killed, or swapped.
- To enter the Safe zone, the card's value must allow the player to move the playing piece into the Safe zone, preventing it from rotating again.