The Piggyback Brigade
The Piggyback Brigade Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 8 double-sided track sections
- 7 wooden colored piglet figures
- 7 wooden colored tokens
- rules
- a die with the following faces: 1, 2, 3, a black 3, and others as pictured
Setup
Lay out the 8 track sections in any order to form one continuous line (a huge number of arrangements is possible).
Note: the track must have a beginning and an end - it cannot form a closed loop.
Each player takes one of the piglet figures and the matching token, so as not to forget the color of their piglet during the game. All the piglets are lined up in front of the start of the track.
The player whose birthday is coming up soonest goes first. Turns then pass clockwise.
Playing the Game
Moving the Piglets
On your turn, roll the die and move your piglet forward the number of spaces shown on the die.
If the die shows a white number, then after moving your piglet forward by that amount, you may (but do not have to) roll the die again.
If the die shows a black number, then after moving your piglet forward 3 spaces, you may (if you wish) roll the die again - but only if your piglet was in last place before the roll (that is, no other piglets were behind it - even if it is riding on the back of another piglet or is part of a "pyramid" of piglets).
Passing Other Piglets
Because the track is very narrow, the only way to pass a piglet is to jump over it. If your piglet lands on a space where another piglet is already standing, it climbs onto that piglet's back. This is very convenient - because on its next turn, that piglet will "carry" yours along with it!
Piglets Riding on Each Other's Backs
During the game, "pyramids" of 3 or more piglets will often form:
- if your piglet is at the very bottom, then on your turn it must carry all the piglets on top of it
- if your piglet is in the middle of the pyramid, then it must carry only the piglets that are above it
- if your piglet is at the very top, then it jumps down off the pyramid and does not have to carry anyone
Extending the Track
Once per game (but only once!), each participant has the right to extend the length of the race. To do this, on your turn you take the first section of the track - but only if there are no piglets on it - and move it to the end of the track.
The player must then place their colored token next to the section of track they moved, so as not to forget that they have already used this right.
End of the Game
The piglet that is first to reach the finish of the track - that is, that crosses the last section of the track - wins the race. The die roll does not need to show a number that exactly matches the number of spaces remaining to the finish. If a piglet reaches the finish while carrying other piglets on its back, all of those piglets are also declared winners.
Rules for 2-3 Players
If only 2 or 3 players are taking part in the race, each of them must take 2 piglets. Participants roll the die separately for each of their piglets. After the first die roll, the player decides which of their piglets will move first. Also, each participant has the right to extend the race not just once, but 2 times during the game.