1992 Puesto n.º 3926 en BGG

Billabong

2–4 jugadores 30 min A partir de 10 años 1.9/5 de complejidad 5.9/10 de valoración

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In the geometrical racing game Billabong — currently available on the market as Billabong Race — players maneuver teams of kangaroos by jumping around a "billabong", that is, "a dead-end channel extending from the stream of a river", with this term being used in Australia. The board is filled with checkerboard-style squares around the billabong in the middle. To start, everyone takes turns placing their five kangaroos on an empty square behind the stream that serves as the race's start — and finish — line. On your turn, you move one of your five kangaroos, usually moving it in a jump or series of jumps over the other kangaroos. Jumps can be long, but they must take a specific format; for example, if the kangaroo to be jumped over is five spaces away from your current location, your landing space must be five spaces beyond this kangaroo. You can jump over only one kangaroo at a time, but you can make multiple jumps on a turn as long as each jump is along a straight line (whether orthogonally or diagonally) and it does not pass over the billabong. Your other option — moving a kangaroo just one space — is usually used as a positioning tactic for a subsequent move. The first player to get all five kangaroos around the billabong and over the finish line wins.

Qué sensaciones ofrece

Grid Movement Square Grid Race Abstract Strategy Racing Animals Anthropomorphic Animals

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Preparación

1. Place the 16×14 board so that the billabong (lake) is in the center and the stream (start/finish line) is identifiable. 2. Players decide who is Red and who is Green. Red will move first after placement. 3. Players alternate turns, each placing ONE of their five kangaroos on ANY vacant square on the board, until all 10 kangaroos have been placed. 4. Place the black referee kangaroo off the board; it enters play only when a jumping sequence begins. 5. Once all kangaroos are placed, movement begins. Red takes the first movement turn.

Flujo del turno

On each turn a player moves exactly ONE of their kangaroos. There are two types of moves: 1. WALK: Move the chosen kangaroo one square in any direction (including diagonals) to a vacant adjacent square. The turn ends immediately after the walk. 2. JUMP: The chosen kangaroo jumps over one or more pivot kangaroos (of any color) in sequence. Before jumping, the black referee kangaroo is placed on the jumping kangaroo's starting square. Each individual jump lands the kangaroo an equal distance on the opposite side of the pivot along the same row, column, or diagonal. The player may continue chaining jumps in the same turn or stop at any time. The turn ends when the player declares they are done jumping. If a kangaroo crosses the finish line during its turn, it is immediately removed from the board and placed in the billabong.

Puntuación y victoria

Race completion: the first player to move all five of their kangaroos across the start line, clockwise around the billabong, and across the finish line wins. Puntuación objetivo: Move all 5 kangaroos across the finish line before your opponent does. Fuentes de puntuación: Completing the course with each kangaroo (crossing start line, circling billabong clockwise, crossing finish line)

Fuente: Rulebook

Reglas que debes conocer

Las reglas más útiles para jugar bien la primera partida.

General

The board is 16 squares wide and 14 squares tall, with the billabong (lake) in the center and the stream as the start/finish line.

The board is 16 columns (x: 1–16) by 14 rows (y: 1–14). Coordinates are written as x,y with origin (1,1) at the upper-left corner and (16,14) at the lower-right. The billabong occupies the central region of the board. The stream flowing into the billabong serves as the shared start/finish line for the race.

General

Coordinates are (x, y) with (1,1) at the upper-left, following graphical (not mathematical) convention.

Every square is identified by a coordinate pair (x, y). x increases left to right (columns 1–16) and y increases top to bottom (rows 1–14). This mirrors a graphical coordinate system: (1,1) is the upper-left corner, (16,14) is the lower-right corner. Move notation always uses x,y format.

General

Lowercase letters (r, g) denote kangaroos that have not yet crossed the start line; uppercase (R, G) denote kangaroos that have crossed it.

Kangaroos are represented by letters indicating their color and race status. 'r' or 'R' = Red kangaroo; 'g' or 'G' = Green kangaroo. A lowercase letter means the kangaroo has NOT yet crossed the starting line. An uppercase letter means the kangaroo HAS crossed the starting line and is actively racing around the billabong.

General

Each player controls exactly five kangaroos of their color (Red or Green). There is also one black referee kangaroo.

There are two players. One controls five Red kangaroos, the other controls five Green kangaroos. Additionally, there is one black referee kangaroo that belongs to neither player and is used exclusively as a placeholder during jumping sequences.

Setup

Before movement begins, players alternate placing one kangaroo per turn on any vacant square until all 10 kangaroos are placed.

To set up the game, players take turns placing their kangaroos one at a time. On each placement turn, a player places exactly one of their own kangaroos on any vacant square anywhere on the board. Players alternate until all five Red and all five Green kangaroos have been placed (10 placements total). Kangaroos do NOT have to start near the starting line. After all placements, Red takes the first movement turn.

Turn structure

Red moves first once all kangaroos have been placed.

After the placement phase is complete, the Red player takes the first movement turn. Players then alternate turns for the remainder of the game.

Turn structure

A player may move exactly ONE of their kangaroos per turn.

Each turn a player selects exactly one of their own kangaroos and either walks it or performs a jump sequence with it. A player cannot move more than one kangaroo in a single turn. Once a jumping sequence has begun (referee placed), the player is NOT allowed to switch to moving a different kangaroo.

Movement

A kangaroo may walk one square in any of the eight directions to a vacant square.

A walking move consists of moving the chosen kangaroo exactly one square in any direction: horizontally, vertically, or diagonally (8 possible directions). The destination square must be vacant (not occupied by any kangaroo). The turn ends immediately after the single-square walk. Walk notation: 'W x1,y1 x2,y2' where (x1,y1) is the source and (x2,y2) is the destination.

Informe estratégico

Placement: Start Behind the Line for Chain-Jump Advantage

Placing kangaroos well behind the start line during setup creates opportunities for long chain-jumps early in the game. Other kangaroos placed nearby act as pivots, allowing a single kangaroo to leap enormous distances in one turn. Lining up at the start line wastes this potential.

Keep the Team Together ('No Tail-End Charlie')

Because ALL five kangaroos must finish for a win, a kangaroo left far behind becomes a liability. With no nearby pivots, it must walk square by square, potentially costing the game. Always keep kangaroos reasonably close together so they can serve as pivots for each other.

Use the Referee Kangaroo for Backward Jumps

Because the referee kangaroo sits on the starting square of the jumping kangaroo's turn, it can be used as a pivot for a backward jump mid-chain. This is useful for setting up a longer forward jump sequence that achieves more net progress than straightforward forward jumps alone.

Blocking: Deny Opponent's Jump Chains

Positioning your kangaroos to block the landing squares of your opponent's potential jumps is a key defensive tactic. Since a jumping kangaroo cannot land on an occupied square, a well-placed kangaroo can break up a long chain-jump sequence the opponent would otherwise execute.

Exploit Corner Diagonals of the Billabong

The corner diagonals of the billabong are legal jump paths even though most billabong-crossing paths are not. Players who know and use these diagonal corridors can find jump routes that opponents may overlook.

Chain-Jump Planning: Think in Pivot Sequences

Before executing a jump, plan the full sequence of pivots you intend to use. Each jump must satisfy the equal-distance rule independently. A valid chain that brings a kangaroo across the finish line in one turn results in its immediate removal from play, accelerating the win condition.

Preguntas frecuentes y casos límite

Can the jumping kangaroo use the black referee kangaroo (placed on its own starting square) as a pivot during its chain-jump sequence?

Yes. The referee kangaroo is a kangaroo on the board for all purposes. It may legally be used as a pivot during any jump in the current chain, including by the kangaroo whose origin it marks. This can allow backward jumps to set up later forward progress.

Can a kangaroo jump along a diagonal that passes through or touches the corners of the billabong?

Yes. The four diagonals that connect at the corners of the billabong are explicitly permitted. Only jumps that cross ACROSS the body of the billabong are illegal.

There are two kangaroos between the jumping kangaroo and its intended pivot. Is this jump legal?

No. Each single jump may only clear exactly one pivot kangaroo. If another kangaroo lies between the jumper and the intended pivot (or between the pivot and the landing square), the jump is illegal.

A player has started a jump chain. Must they continue jumping, or can they stop after any individual jump?

The player may stop after any completed individual jump. They are never forced to continue chaining. They simply declare the end of their turn.

Can a kangaroo that has finished the course (placed in the billabong) be used as a pivot?

No. Finished kangaroos are removed from the board and placed in the billabong; they take no further part in the game and cannot be used as pivots.

Why would a player NOT place their kangaroos on the start line during setup?

Placing kangaroos well behind the start line can allow long chain-jumps using other kangaroos as pivots, potentially covering enormous distances in a single turn. Starting at the line offers no opportunity to 'run up' for a big jump. There is often a strategic advantage to starting further back.

A player places the referee to begin a jump, then decides they would rather move a different kangaroo. Is this allowed?

No. Once the jump sequence has begun (referee placed on the starting square), the player is committed to that kangaroo and may not switch to a different one.

In jump notation, do the coordinates after 'J x,y' represent landing squares or pivot squares?

They represent the coordinates of the PIVOT kangaroos, not the landing squares. The landing square after each jump is implicitly determined by the equal-distance rule (pivot is the midpoint between jumper and landing square).