Schlängeln
Schlängeln Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Game Components
- 4 bushes as snake hiding places
- 1 cloth bag
- 8 snake flutes (fabulous snake flutes)
- 20 coloured snakes of differing lengths
Game Setup
Before the game, the bushes are assembled. Each bush consists of a front part and two side parts in the same colour.
Each player takes one bush and places it in front of themselves. Then each player receives two fabulous snake flutes and places them next to their bush. In a two-player game the flutes are not needed.
All snakes go into the cloth bag. In turn, the players take three snakes from the bag and push them from behind through the openings of their bush. The other players should only be able to see the snake heads. The remaining snakes stay in the bag for now.
The snakes are taken from the bag in such a way that the other players cannot see the colours on the snakes.
Starting situation with four players. The snakes look out of the bushes only with their heads, so the players cannot see which colours the snakes have.
Game Play
The youngest player begins, and play then continues clockwise.
A Player Asks
The player whose turn it is names one of the other players and asks them for a colour. The colours in the game are: red, yellow, blue, green, orange and violet. The asked player answers with "Yes" ("Ja"), "Later" ("Später") or "Bad luck" ("Pech gehabt").
Example: Leon asks, "Laura, do you have yellow?" Laura looks and sees that one of her snakes has a yellow ring in the foremost position.
The player answers "Yes!"
If the asked player sees that one or more of their three snakes has a ring of the named colour in the foremost position behind the bush, they say "Yes."
Then the asked player pushes that snake from behind through the bush so far that the correctly guessed coloured ring is visible to everyone. They should take care not to push the snake too far forward.
Example: Leon has correctly guessed the yellow colour. Laura must push this snake through the bush until the yellow ring is fully visible.
If the asked player has several snakes with the named colour in the foremost position, they must push all of these snakes forward.
Whoever guessed correctly remains on turn and may ask another player of their choice for any colour.
The player answers "Later!"
If the asked player has no snake with a ring of the named colour in the foremost position, they look at the rear coloured rings of their snakes. If at least one ring of the named colour is present further back, they say "Later" ("Später"). After that, the player to the left of the asking player is on turn.
Example: Leon now asks Oliver, "Do you have blue?" Oliver sees that no snake has a blue ring in the foremost position. But one snake has a blue ring further back. Oliver says "Later."
If the asked player has a named coloured ring in the foremost position of one snake and also further back on another snake, they must say "Yes" and not "Later."
The player answers "Bad luck!"
If the asked player has no snake with a ring of the named colour behind their bush, they say "Bad luck" ("Pech gehabt"). After that, the player to the left of the asking player is on turn.
Tip: It helps to remember which colours appear, or do not appear, with the other players.
A Snake Is Lured Out Completely
If a player has guessed the colour of the last coloured ring of a snake and thereby lured the snake completely out from behind the bush, they receive it as a prize.
The player whose snake was lured away draws a new snake from the cloth bag as a replacement. They place it behind their bush so that again only the head is visible.
A player who receives a snake as a prize is no longer on turn. The game continues with their left-hand neighbour.
Example: Jeanette asks Leon, "Do you have red?" Leon finds that his middle snake has the named coloured ring in the foremost position. Leon pushes the snake all the way out of the bush and gives it to Jeanette. As a replacement he draws a new snake from the bag and again has three snakes behind his bush.
The Fabulous Snake Flute
If a player gives up one of their fabulous snake flutes, they may ask all the other players for a colour at the same time. Now all the other players must either say "Yes" and push snakes forward, or otherwise say "Later" or "Bad luck." After that, the snake flute is removed from the game.
If even one of the other players answers "Yes," the player remains on turn.
End of the Game
When the cloth bag is empty, play continues until the last snake behind one player's bush has been lured out. Then the game ends.
The players then count up the snakes they have won. The player with the most snakes has won and may call themselves the "best snake charmer" ("bester Schlangenbeschwörer").