Pipifax
Pipifax Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Game Overview
Pipifax is a memory game for 2–5 players, ages 4 and up, lasting about 15 minutes.
Contents: 24 animal cards (6 animals, each four times), 1 animal die.
The card fronts show the animals; the card backs are coloured blue, green, red or yellow.
Goal of the Game
The animal children have run away. The die tells you which animal to search for next. Remember where each animal is hidden. The game is won by the player who, in one turn, first uncovers four matching animals in a row, one with each card-back colour.
Setup
- Place all animal cards face down on the table.
- Mix them well, then sort the face-down cards so that all blue-backed cards lie together, all green-backed cards lie together, all red-backed cards lie together, and all yellow-backed cards lie together.
- Set the animal die beside the cards.
Sequence of Play
The player who visited the zoo most recently receives the animal die and begins the game. Play then continues clockwise.
Rolling and Uncovering an Animal
On your turn, roll the animal die and look at the animal it shows. Then turn over exactly one card that you believe shows the sought-after animal.
Matching Animal Uncovered
If the card you turned over shows the animal rolled on the die, you have found a match. Congratulations: you take another turn immediately. Roll the die again and turn over one more card. This new card must have a different card-back colour from every card you have already turned over this turn.
Example: Simon rolls a giraffe on his first roll and turns over a giraffe with a red back. He takes another turn immediately. He rolls the die again and must now turn over a card with a blue, green or yellow back.
As long as you keep uncovering a matching animal, you keep taking extra turns.
No Matching Animal Uncovered
If the card you turned over does not show the rolled animal, your turn ends. Turn all the animals you uncovered this turn face down again, and pass the animal die to your left-hand neighbour.
End of the Game
The game ends during a turn when you uncover four matching animals in a row, one card of each card-back colour (one blue, one green, one red and one yellow). That player wins the game.
Variant for Wild Pipifax Fans
For real wild fans there is a somewhat harder variant of Pipifax. During setup, do not sort the animal cards by card-back colour; let them lie wildly mixed together. Otherwise the rules do not change.