Abagio
Abagio Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Jump Start
Abagio is a game for two players. One player plays the 12 red frogs while the other player plays the 12 purple frogs. You will take turns rolling the dice and moving your frogs around the board and into the pond at the center. The yellow frog is called the "Top Frog" and will be played by both players.
There are three steps to taking your turn:
- Roll the dice
- Move your frogs according to the numbers rolled
- Play the Top Frog, if qualified to do so
To start, each player rolls a single die. The player with the highest number showing will go first.
Jumping to conclusions: All frogs long for the Pond. The first player to move all of their frogs into the Pond at the center of the board wins the game.
Board Setup
Place a stack of six red frogs and a stack of six purple frogs at the Root in the lower left corner of the board (Figure 1).
Arrange the remaining frogs into three stacks, each with four frogs of alternating red and purple colors, and place them in the other three corners. (Set the yellow Top Frog aside for now.)
If the red frog player is going first, place one mixed stack with a red frog on top in the upper right corner. Place the other two mixed stacks, each with a purple frog on top, in the upper left and lower right corners (Figure 1).
If the purple frog player is playing first, simply reverse the color order of the three mixed stacks (Figure 2).
Figure 1: Setup for when red goes first. [Diagram of the board with the red and purple stacks at the Root in the lower left corner and a mixed stack in each of the other three corners.]
Figure 2: Setup for when purple goes first. [Same board with the three mixed stacks in reversed colour order.]
Leaping Forward
In Abagio, a move is called a "leap". To take a leap, move a frog forward from its current position, counting spaces according to the number rolled. Each number rolled must be taken as a separate leap. (Note: The two spots at the Root are not counted.)
You may leap frogs onto unoccupied spaces or onto other frogs to create a stack (details will be explained in the "Rules for Leaps & Heaps"). Once a stack of two or more frogs has been created, only the frog on top is eligible to leap.
Any combination of eligible frogs may leap in a turn or a single frog may make multiple leaps. When leaping one frog the sum of the dice, each number must be taken as a separate legal leap.
If you roll doubles (both dice show the same number), you may play the number on each die twice for a total of four leaps using one or more of your eligible frogs.
Both players move their frogs around the Outer Path until they come to the first diamond-shaped space, called the Eight Spot (see Figure 3).
The Eight Spot is the first space on the Inner Path, which branches into two Safe Zones. The red frogs move left and the purple frogs move right.
Finally, the Inner Path comes together at the One Spot, the other diamond-shaped space just above the Pond.
Figure 3. [Diagram of the board's path: the Outer Path runs around the edge with arrows showing direction; the Red Safe Zone runs up the left side of the Inner Path and the Purple Safe Zone up the right; the Root sits at the lower left of the Outer Path; the Eight Spot is at the bottom of the Inner Path and the One Spot at the top, directly above the Pond (Finish).]
For the latest Abagio strategy tips and FAQs see www.abagio.com.
Playing the Top Frog
If you have no frogs at the Root after rolling the dice and making your regular leaps, you may play the yellow Top Frog before you finish your turn. The Top Frog protects any space or stack that it is placed on.
To play the Top Frog, remove it from its current position and place it on top of one of your own frogs or on an unoccupied space on the Outer Path only. You may never place the Top Frog on the Inner Path, on one of your opponent's frogs, or on a stack that already has the maximum number of frogs.
When you cannot or do not choose to play the Top Frog on your turn, you should set it aside somewhere off of the game board.
Rules for Leaps and Heaps
You may leap (move) frogs onto unoccupied spaces or onto other frogs to create a stack. Once a stack of two or more frogs has been created, only the frog on top is eligible to leap - the other frogs are trapped until the frogs above them are moved off.
Hitting a Blot
A blot is a single frog on a space or on top of a stack with the other player's frog(s) directly below it. When you leap a frog onto your opponent's blot, you hit the blot, sending your opponent's frog back to the Root and placing your frog in its place.
There is one exception: A blot that is at the top of a maxed stack cannot be hit (see "Blocking by Maxing a Stack").
[Figure: four panels showing a red frog hitting a blot on a bare space and on a stack, with the hit frog sent back to the Root.]
Capping a Pair
A pair of frogs is two frogs belonging to the same player, sitting one on top of the other, on a space or on top of the other player's frog(s). When you leap a frog onto your opponent's pair, it caps the pair so that they are trapped and cannot move.
[Figure: two panels showing a red frog capping a purple pair on a space and on a stack; the capped purple frogs cannot move.]
Blocking with a "Heap"
A heap of frogs is three or more frogs belonging to the same player, sitting one on top of the other, on a space or on top of the other player's frog(s). Once you have a heap of three or more frogs your opponent may not land on that stack.
[Figure: three panels showing a red leap refused on a purple heap of three or more frogs, each marked with a cross.]
Blocking by "Maxing a Stack"
A stack is "maxed" when it has the maximum of five frogs of any color, except for the One Spot and the Eight Spot, which can only have two frogs stacked. Once a stack is maxed no more frogs can land on it. (Note: It doesn't matter how you stack your frogs at the Root or after they have jumped into the Pond.)
[Figure: three panels showing leaps refused on a stack of four, a maxed stack of five, and a maxed stack of five with a blot on top; a fourth panel shows a leap refused on a two-frog stack on the One Spot or Eight Spot.]
Blocking with the Top Frog
The yellow Top Frog can be played anywhere on the Outer Path except directly on top of one of your opponent's frogs. The Top Frog blocks other frogs from landing on the space or stack it is sitting on and frogs sitting under the Top Frog cannot be moved.
[Figure: three panels showing a Top Frog on an empty space, on a stack, and on a stack with frogs under it, each with a cross marking a blocked leap.]
NOTE: If your opponent qualifies but forgets to play the Top Frog, then you must decide to either:
a) Remind your opponent to play the Top Frog or ... b) Leave the Top Frog where it is during your turn.
Either choice can have advantages and disadvantages, depending on the situation. You may want to remind your opponent to play the Top Frog if it is currently on top of one or more of your own frogs.
Beware of Frogs That are Sitting Ducks
The Eight Spot and One Spot are the only two spaces on the Inner Path that are not part of either player's Safe Zone. They are also the only two spaces on the board where the maximum stack size is two frogs. This means a pair cannot be capped but a blot can be hit and the Top Frog cannot be used for protection.
Other Leaping Rules
- You must play each number on the dice if legally possible.
- If you can only play one number, then you must take a leap for that number and forfeit the second number.
- If one OR the other number (but not both) can be played, then you must play the larger of the two numbers.
- If the order in which the leaps are taken affects how many of the possible leaps can be played, then the order that allows the most leaps must be used.
- If no legal leaps are possible, then you forfeit your turn. (Except you may play the Top Frog, if qualified to do so.)
Jumping Out
Once all of your frogs are within the Inner Path (in your Safe Zone or on the Eight Spot or the One Spot), you can start to jump out into the Pond. To jump out, a frog must leap exactly into the Pond, landing one count beyond the One Spot.
If you roll a number that is higher than needed to jump your frogs out, you are permitted (and required) to choose a frog furthest from the Pond and jump it out. For instance, if you roll a six and your farthest frogs are only four spaces away from the Pond, you must jump out a frog from the fourth space. (You are never required to jump out if an otherwise legal leap can be made.)
The first player to jump all of their frogs into the Pond wins the game!