Banana Express Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• Setup
• Basic Game (ages 4 and up)
  • Goal of the Game
  • Boarding the Monkeys onto the Shuttle
  • The Banana Shuttle Moves
  • Starting the Attractions
  • Banana Cards
  • End of the Game
• Advanced Rule (ages 5 and up)
  • Goal of the Game
  • Playing Out the Game
  • Banana Cards
  • End of the Game

Components

• 1 island with the Banana Shuttle
• 4 monkeys
• 12 Banana cards
• 1 die

Setup

Attach the palm tree, the snake slide and the bridge to the island. It is best to ask an adult to help. Press the pieces carefully into their designated holes until they are firmly held.

Place the island within everyone's reach. Each player chooses a monkey and places it at the foot of the two boarding spaces.

Bring the last seat of the Banana Shuttle opposite the boarding point.

Place the Banana card deck face up, and place the die next to the island. The adventure can begin.

Basic Game (ages 4 and up)

Goal of the Game

Overcome three attractions and bring back the first 3 Banana cards.

Boarding the Monkeys onto the Shuttle

The youngest player begins. Play continues clockwise. On your turn, roll the die and advance your monkey by the number of spaces shown. If a space is already occupied, your monkey simply jumps over it and is placed on the space just in front of it. The first two spaces of the track are located directly at the boarding point. Your monkeys then continue moving onto the seats of the shuttle.

The Banana Shuttle Moves

Once all the monkeys are on board and it is your turn, you must always perform three actions:

1. Roll the die;
2. Advance your monkey;
3. Move the Banana Shuttle.

1. Roll the die. The result shows how many spaces you may advance your monkey and how many stations the Banana Shuttle moves.

2. Advance your monkey. Advance your monkey by the number of spaces shown on the die. If it is seated on board the Banana Shuttle, move it forward toward the front. If it is on the island, it continues along the island. If your monkey reaches the tip of the Banana Shuttle, or reaches the top of an attraction without using all the points of the die, the remaining points are ignored.

3. Move the Banana Shuttle. Once you have advanced your monkey, move the Banana Shuttle clockwise by the number of notches shown on the die. At each notch, the shuttle makes a small "click!" sound.

Starting the Attractions

When the Banana Shuttle arrives at the foot of an attraction, the monkey seated at the front automatically slides off the shuttle onto the island. Once it has come down from the Banana Shuttle, your monkey moves along the coloured spaces to reach the following attractions:

The palm-tree carousel. Move your monkey onto the two green spaces to climb up to the palm tree. A third point on the die allows you to place it under the palm tree. Then hold the top of the palm tree and turn it clockwise, so that your monkey slides down to the bottom.

The snake slide. Move your monkey onto the two blue spaces to climb up to the snake. A third point on the die allows you to place it at the top of the slide. Let it go! Yippee! That's a slide!

The suspension bridge. Move your monkey onto the two brown spaces to climb up to the bridge. A third point on the die allows you to place your monkey on the lowered part of the bridge. Tip the bridge to make your monkey slide off the bridge.

With a bit of luck, the Banana Shuttle will be exactly at the bottom and your monkey will land directly in the shuttle after its slide. If it lands in the water or on a space already occupied, place it on the first free seat, as far toward the back as possible.

Banana Cards

After each slide, your monkey is rewarded with a Banana card. Draw the top card from the deck and place it face up in front of you. It is possible to win a Banana card by doing the same attraction twice.

End of the Game

The game ends as soon as the first player among you has won three Banana cards; that player wins the game.

Advanced Rule (ages 5 and up)

Goal of the Game

Overcome three crazy attractions and bring back the first 3 different Banana cards.

The rule is identical to that of the basic game, with the following exceptions:

Playing Out the Game

Once all the monkeys are on board, the game continues as follows: when your turn comes, roll the die. Unlike the basic rule, you do not automatically move your monkey and the Banana Shuttle.

With the advanced rule, you have three options for using the points of the die:

1. Either, advance your monkey;
2. Or move the Banana Shuttle;
3. Or distribute the points as you wish. In this case, you may advance your monkey and move the Banana Shuttle in the same turn. You are free to choose in which order.

On each turn, you are required to use all the points of the die.

Banana Cards

Each time your monkey makes an attraction for the first time, take a Banana card from the pile corresponding to that attraction: snake, palm tree or bridge. If you make the same attraction a second time, you do not win a Banana card.

End of the Game

As soon as one player has 3 different Banana cards, the game ends and that player is declared the winner.