Jungle

Big beats small, the rat beats the elephant, storm the den

Offline

Play against bots, no connection needed.

Bot difficulty
Play as

Online play

Match with other players. Start when the table is full.

My matches

Loading…

Live matches

Loading…

How to play

Jungle gameplay screenshot
  • The board has 7 columns × 9 rows, with two rivers in the middle and a den at each end; each den has a trap on three sides. Each side has 8 animals, and Blue moves first.
  • From strongest to weakest: elephant 8, lion 7, tiger 6, leopard 5, wolf 4, dog 3, cat 2, rat 1. Each turn, move one animal one square up, down, left or right; it may capture an enemy animal of the same or lower rank. The rat can capture the elephant, but the elephant cannot capture the rat.
  • Only the rat may enter the water. A rat in the river cannot capture an animal on land, and no animal on land can capture a rat in the river; two rats in the river may capture each other.
  • The lion and the tiger may jump straight across a river, horizontally or vertically, landing on the first square on the far bank and capturing an enemy animal of the same or lower rank there. They cannot jump if a rat is in the water on the way.
  • An enemy animal standing in one of your traps can be captured by any of your animals. You may not enter your own den; you win by entering the enemy den, capturing all enemy animals, or leaving your opponent without a legal move.
  • An animal may not shuttle between the same two squares more than 3 times in a row. The game is drawn if the same position occurs three times, if neither side captures in 50 moves each, or by agreement.
  • Online games use a chess clock and running out of time loses; players swap who moves first every game, and leaving mid-game counts as a loss. Offline games are untimed and allow undo.

Playing guide

These options and rules describe the current JoyPip version. Choose a mode above before starting; rules are also available during play.

Step-by-step examples

Select a step to see what changes. These are partial examples, not full starting positions.

Practice options

Bot difficulty
Beginner · Amateur · Professional · Master
Play as
Blue (moves first) · Red (moves second) · Random

Private room options

Time (minutes + seconds per move)
3+2 · 5+3 · 10+5 · 15+10

Detailed rules and controls

Pieces
  • Each side has 8 animals; the number at the top right of a piece is its rank: elephant 8, lion 7, tiger 6, leopard 5, wolf 4, dog 3, cat 2, rat 1
  • Bigger captures smaller and equals capture each other; only the rat can capture the elephant, and the elephant cannot capture the rat
  • Setup: Blue tiger a1, lion g1, cat b2, dog f2, elephant a3, wolf c3, leopard e3, rat g3; Red is placed with rotational symmetry
Terrain
  • Rivers: b4–c6 and e4–f6, 2 × 3 squares each; only the rat may enter them
  • Lion and tiger jumps: straight from one bank to the first square on the other, over 2 water squares across or 3 lengthwise; not allowed if a rat of either side is in the water on the way
  • Traps: one on each side of a den and one in front (Blue c1, e1, d2; Red c9, e9, d8). An enemy animal in your trap can be captured by any of your animals, though it still captures at its own rank
  • Dens: Blue d1, Red d9. You may not enter your own den; entering the enemy den wins at once
Draw
  • After an animal shuttles between the same two squares for 3 moves in a row, it may not move back again next turn; a side left with no legal move because of this loses
  • The same position with the same side to move occurring three times is a draw
  • A draw after 100 moves in total (50 each) without a capture
Controls
  • Tap one of your animals, then a highlighted square: a dot is an empty square, a dashed ring is an enemy you can capture, a gold ring is the enemy den
  • An enemy animal in your trap is marked with a red ring
  • The move list records each move as the rank number plus the start and end squares, such as 8 a3-a4; captures use x, such as 7 a4xd4
  • Keyboard: arrow keys move the cursor, Enter or Space selects and moves, Esc cancels the selection

Frequently asked questions

Can the elephant capture a rat that walks up next to it?

When the enemy rat reaches the land square next to your elephant, it can capture the elephant, but the elephant cannot capture it: move the elephant away first, or capture the rat with another animal such as your cat or dog. Once the rat is in the water it is safe, since no animal on land can reach it, but it cannot capture your elephant on land either. Before a lion or tiger jumps a river, check that no rat is in the water on the way.

Do I need a download or a linked email?

Play directly in your browser without a download. Linking email is an optional way to recover your account. Before clearing browser data, consider whether you need to keep your account or local records.

Do matches earn or spend coins?

Earn coins by checking in and spend them on cosmetics. Matches never cost or award coins.

Report a problem

Try these related games