Forbidden Bridge
Forbidden Bridge Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Object
Collect 2 jewels and be the first player to reach the Finish space with them.
Contents
Bridge (2 spans, 13 planks, 7 railings); Idol Cliff with 2 hands and platform; 2-pc. Climbing Cliff; Gameboard with 8 plastic rock pieces and 4 cardboard sides; 4 Explorer Pawns; 4 Canoes; 15 Jewels with storage bag; 2 Dice; Label Sheet.
Assembly
You must put together 3 main sections: the cliffs, the gameboard and the bridge. The assembly of each section is explained below. See the box bottom for a fully assembled game.
1. Assemble Cliffs
Idol Cliff: 4 parts are needed — 1 cliff with Idol, 2 hands and 1 platform. Press the platform down firmly onto the peg of the Idol Cliff to lock it into place. Then carefully angle the hands and insert them into the Idol's body until they snap into place.
Climbing Cliff: Parts needed — 2 cliff parts and 3 step labels. Press the 2 parts of the Climbing Cliff together and apply the step labels.
Set assembled cliffs aside.
Important: Read this before you assemble the bridge. Look at the numbers on the planks — they must be positioned exactly as shown on the label sheet. Make sure the arrows on the planks all point the same way.
2. Assemble Gameboard
Rock Walls: 8 parts are needed — 4 long pieces and 4 end pieces. Each piece has a letter molded into it. Carefully press together 2 long pieces and then attach 2 end pieces. Do the same with the other 4 pieces. All slots on end pieces face out.
Playing Surface: Slide the playing surface into place inside the 2 rock walls. Fit it under the tabs of the rock walls.
Attach Cliffs to Rock Walls: Insert each cliff's pegs into the holes in the rock walls. Be sure to attach the Idol Cliff to the rock walls near the Start/Finish space on the gameboard.
Cardboard Sides: Insert the 4 cardboard sides into the rock walls.
3. Assemble Bridge
Bridge: Parts needed — 13 planks, 2 spans and 7 railings. Each plank has a number on its underside. Line up the planks number-side-up in order from 1 to 13. Then take the 2 spans and press them into each plank's slots.
Attach Railings to Bridge: Once the spans are firmly clipped to all planks, turn the bridge over and fit the 7 railings into the plank holes.
Attach Bridge to Cliffs: Hook the assembled bridge onto the cliff pegs.
Important: Bridge Plank #1 should be next to the Climbing Cliff and Bridge Plank #13 should be next to the Idol Cliff.
Setup
- Place 6 jewels in each hand of the Idol. Place extra jewels out of play in the storage bag.
- Each player chooses an explorer pawn and its matching color canoe. Place all explorers in their canoes at the Start/Finish space. Place any extra explorers and canoes out of play.
- Place the dice within easy reach of all players.
How to Play
Youngest player goes first. Play continues clockwise.
What to Do on Your Turn
Roll and Move
On your turn, roll both dice. The Number die tells you how far to move your explorer. The Picture die directs you to do different tasks. After you roll and do what the dice say, your turn is over.
You can only move in one direction on your turn, moving from space to space along the trail. Each Gameboard, Cliff, and Bridge space counts as 1 on your Number die roll.
Die Rolls
Number: Move your explorer the number of spaces shown on the die.
Note: When moving explorers on the bridge, do NOT press down hard on the bridge planks.
Idol: Press the Idol's head down as far as it will go and release it. The Idol will start shaking the bridge!
Important: When you roll the Idol, always press the Idol's head before doing anything else.
Explorer: Move an opponent's explorer to another spot on its same Bridge space. (You may want to move it to a more treacherous spot — but not in a large hole!) This is an optional task. You may move another player's explorer before or after you move your own explorer. If no explorers are on the bridge, ignore this die. (See How to Position an Explorer on the Bridge, below.)
Jewel: If you're not already carrying a jewel, try to steal a jewel from another player's backpack! This can be done while on foot or in a canoe. This is an optional task. You may steal a jewel before or after you move your own explorer. Here's how:
- Steal and Move: If you're already sharing a space with someone who has a jewel, take it and put it in your backpack. Then move your explorer.
- Move and Steal: Land by exact count on the same space as another player who has a jewel and steal it!
If no jewels are available for stealing, ignore this die.
Important: You CANNOT steal a jewel that is in the bottom of a player's canoe.
Trail Directions
The Jewel Rule: Unless your explorer already has a jewel in its backpack, it must always move towards a jewel to try to collect it. Collect jewels from the Idol or steal them from other explorers' backpacks; or collect jewels that have fallen.
To Start the Game: All explorers move toward the Idol to collect a jewel. To do this, they move down the river in their canoes to the beach. Explorers land their canoes there and continue on foot up the cliff and across the bridge to the Idol and the jewels.
During the Game: A player may choose to move in any one direction on the bridge or the gameboard as long as that player always follows The Jewel Rule.
Whenever you move onto the Start/Finish space without 2 jewels, you must stop and stay here until your next turn.
The Game Spaces
There are 3 kinds of spaces: Gameboard spaces, Cliff spaces and Bridge spaces. Each space counts as 1 on your Number die roll.
Gameboard Spaces
There are 12 Gameboard spaces. Two or more players may share the same Gameboard space.
5 River Spaces: Only explorers in canoes can move from River space to River space. Explorers on foot CANNOT move onto these spaces.
Start/Finish Space: This River space is not only where you start and finish the game, but it is also a dead end.
1 Beach Space: This is the only space along the river where explorers can land or launch their canoes. Explorers may also move onto a Cliff space or a Jungle space on foot from here. When landing your canoe or boarding it, count the Beach space only once.
6 Jungle Spaces: Explorers on foot may move from Jungle space to Jungle space. (Usually you are on one of these spaces because you either fell off the bridge or you are seeking a fallen jewel.)
Logs: Some Jungle spaces are connected by logs. You may use a log as a shortcut to cross the river. The log does NOT count as a space.
Cliff Spaces
There are 3 Cliff spaces on the Climbing Cliff. There is one Platform space on the Idol Cliff (located at the end of the bridge).
Climbing Cliff Spaces: Use these 3 spaces to climb up and down the cliff. Players CANNOT share any spaces on the Climbing Cliff. If your move ends on an occupied space, move ahead to the next empty space.
Idol Platform Space: When you move onto this space, place a jewel in your explorer's backpack. Your explorer must then stay here until your next turn. You do NOT have to land here by exact count. Only 2 players may share the Idol Platform space. If you wish to move onto this space and 2 other explorers are already on it, you must wait on the 13th Bridge space until an explorer leaves the platform. Then, on your next turn, you may move onto it.
Bridge Spaces
There are 13 Bridge spaces. Some Bridge spaces are safe; some are dangerous. Up to 3 explorers may share most Bridge spaces. Bridge spaces with large jagged holes only allow 2 explorers to share the space. If your move ends on a fully occupied Bridge space, move ahead to the next empty space.
What Happens When the Bridge Shakes
After you roll an Idol and press the Idol's head, the bridge will shake! Explorers may remain standing on the bridge. Or explorers may fall off the bridge or fall down on the bridge — or hang off it! Jewels may fall onto the bridge or off the bridge.
Important: If your explorer falls or is left hanging on another player's turn, you CANNOT touch it until it is your turn.
How to Position an Explorer on the Bridge
Whenever you move your own explorer or another player's on the bridge, the explorer's base must rest flat on the bridge plank. The explorer must also always face one of the cliffs. The explorer should NOT hang off the edge or be put into a large hole which it could fall through! Some spaces are pegged. Be careful when placing an explorer on a peg or removing an explorer from a peg:
- Slip over peg.
- Slip over pegs.
- Slide under peg.
- Rest against bump.
Fallen Explorers
On your turn, you may stand up your explorer after you roll the dice. (If you roll the Idol, you must press the Idol first before standing up your explorer!) Here's how to determine which space to stand your explorer up on before completing your move:
- Stand it up on the space on which its head rests.
- If its head is between two Bridge spaces or between two land spaces, stand it up on either one.
- If its head is on a River space, stand it up on the land space (jungle or beach) nearest its head. An explorer CANNOT stand up on a River space without its canoe!
- If it is hanging off the bridge, stand it up on the Bridge space from which it is hanging.
Fallen Jewels
After you roll the dice on your turn, you may pick up any fallen jewel as long as (1) your explorer's backpack is empty, and (2) you are either on the same space as the fallen jewel or can move there by Number die roll. (You do not have to land there by exact count.)
When you're on the space, pick up the jewel and place it inside your backpack. Then stay there until your next turn.
Here's where you may find a fallen jewel:
- If a jewel has fallen onto a River space, that jewel must be returned to the Idol immediately!
- If a jewel has fallen on a Bridge, Jungle or Beach space, your explorer may move onto that space to pick it up.
- If a jewel has fallen between two Bridge spaces or between any two land spaces (jungle/beach), your explorer may collect it from either space.
- If a jewel has fallen onto a log, you may cross the log to get it!
- Fun Bonus: If a jewel falls into your explorer's canoe, you get to keep it!
Where to Put Your Collected Jewels
Your First Jewel: When you collect your first jewel, put it in your backpack. (If you steal your first jewel while you're in your canoe, follow the rules for stealing jewels above.) Then return to the Beach space and put the jewel in the bottom of your canoe. Your explorer must then stay there until your next turn.
Your Second Jewel: When you collect your second jewel, put it in your backpack. (Your second jewel must stay in your backpack!) If your explorer's on foot, return to your canoe on the Beach space and stay there until your next turn.
If you steal your second jewel while you're in your canoe, follow the rules for stealing jewels above. You do NOT have to return to the Beach space — just head to the Finish space.
How to Win
When your explorer has both jewels (one in its canoe and one in its backpack), you can move your explorer in its canoe towards the Finish space! You must travel on the River spaces to get to the Finish space and you must move by Number die roll.
Important: Jewels are safe in the bottom of your canoe. But watch out! Other players may try to steal your jewel from your backpack as you travel in your canoe!
The first player who moves onto the Finish space with 2 jewels wins the game! (You do NOT have to land on the Finish space by exact count.)