Froschkönig
Froschkönig Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Material
- 72 tongue sticks (square-section wooden beams; eighteen in each of four colours)
- 4 linen bags in four colours
- 4 frogs in four colours
- 1 princess
- 1 bridge
- 1 game board
- 8 adhesive stoppers
- these rules
(Fig. 1: game material; explanation of the board lines)
Goal of the Game
The frogs estimate the distance between the bridge and the fly line. To do this, all players simultaneously feel inside their bags for two tongue sticks. Laid end to end, the two sticks should match the distance between the bridge and the line as exactly as possible. The players who do this best (and second best) may each lengthen the "kiss tongue" of their frog. The frog whose tongue tip reaches the princess first wins the game.
Before the First Game
Attach four of the eight enclosed adhesive stoppers to the corners of the underside of the game board. Attach the remaining four stoppers to the underside of the bridge, so that it does not slip easily on the game board during play (Fig. 2).
Setup
Each player takes, in the colour of their choice, one frog and one bag containing the 18 tongue sticks of the same colour. The frogs are placed in a row beside the game board so that they form a straight start line (Fig. 3). The princess is assembled and placed opposite the frogs at a freely chosen distance. To get to know the game, this distance should initially be about two board lengths. In later games, the distance may be chosen freely, to make the game shorter or longer.
The bridge spans the laid-out game board at the yellow start line for the duration of the first round (Fig. 3).
Gameplay
A round always consists of the following three phases:
- Select and lay out two tongue sticks
- Lengthen kiss tongues
- Move the bridge
Select and Lay Out Two Tongue Sticks
Before you choose your tongue sticks, each of you first estimates with your mind's eye how far the bridge is from the fly line. (In the first round the bridge already has its fixed place. Before each new round it is then moved, so that a different distance has to be estimated in every round; Fig. 3 and Fig. 8.)
Now each of you tries, by feeling and comparing inside your own bag, to select two tongue sticks which you believe together are exactly as long as the distance between the bridge and the fly line.
You may not look into the bag when selecting the tongue sticks. Once you have drawn your sticks, keep them hidden until all players have selected their two tongue sticks. Then each player lays their two sticks one behind the other at the bridge, so that together they extend towards the fly line … and you will see the exact distances of your sticks from the fly line (Fig. 4).
By the way: one of you should hold the wooden bridge firmly while the sticks are being laid, so that it does not slip. You will also find it easier if you do not lay your sticks too far away from those of the other players, because then you can compare the lengths of your sticks more easily.
Who May Lengthen Their Kiss Tongue?
First of all, everyone whose tongue sticks touch the black fly line or even extend beyond it has bad luck. These unlucky players must take their sticks off the game board and place them beside themselves.
Then check which of you has come closest to the fly line. This lucky player estimated the distance best and may now attach the longer of their two laid sticks to the tongue tip of their frog. In this way they lengthen their kiss tongue and come closer to the princess (Fig. 5).
The second-best player is also rewarded! They may now take the shorter of their two sticks from the game board and attach it to the tongue tip of their frog.
The other players unfortunately go away empty-handed and may not lengthen their frog tongue.
Any player who still has sticks lying on the game board takes them back from there and places them beside themselves.
There are also a few special cases:
It can happen that two or more players estimated equally well, so that their sticks are exactly the same distance from the fly line. Then the following happens:
- If several of you have come closest to the fly line, these players may all attach their longer stick to the tongue tip of their frog. In this case there is no second-place player (Fig. 6)! All remaining sticks are taken from the game board and placed beside the players.
- If there is only one best player, but several of you have come second closest to the fly line, then all of these second-place players may each lengthen their frog's tongue tip with their shorter stick (Fig. 7).
- And it is clearly obvious: if the tongue sticks of all players extend beyond the fly line, none of you may lengthen the tongue tip of your frog.
Move the Bridge
The player whose frog currently has the shortest kiss tongue may move the frog bridge. If several players have the shortest kiss tongue, the player with the longest kiss tongue may move the bridge. If there is a tie here as well, the bridge stays where it is.
The bridge may only ever be moved between the yellow start line and the light blue boundary line (Fig. 8).
As soon as the bridge has found its new position, the next round begins and you may again select two sticks from your bag.
If all sticks have been used up without any of the frogs having managed to kiss the princess, all bags are refilled and the game continues as described above. Only the sticks that you have placed in front of you during the course of the game are used for refilling. The sticks that are already attached to the frogs remain there.
End of the Game
As soon as a frog reaches the princess with its tongue, it gives her a kiss on the cheek and wins the game.
If several frogs reach the princess at the same time, the one with the longer tongue wins. If there is still a tie here, the player whose frog tongue consists of fewer sticks wins.
Variant for the Youngest Children (Ages 4–5)
When playing with younger children, you may use these simplified rules:
Each child first lays out only one stick and then decides whether they want to add a second one. A stick that has been drawn must be laid out. Looking into the bag is permitted. If the best or second-best player of the round has only one stick laid out, they may attach this one to their frog.