- BGG rating
- 7.2
Jambo: Nieuwe avonturen en ontmoetingen
- 2 players
- 30 min
- Complexity 2.5/5
- 2015
- BGG rank
- BGG #1,038
- BGG rating
- 7.0
Jambo
2004
Rules assistance for Jambo
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2 players
- 45 min
- 12+
- Complexity 2.1/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Jambo
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Jambo is a board game released in 2004 for 2 players, 45 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Rüdiger Dorn and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Take That, and Race.
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About the game
From the back of the box (edited for grammar): "Jambo is the friendly greeting Swahili traders offered their customers in Central Africa before colonization. The players are traders in this day, competing to be the first to earn 60 gold by buying and selling tea, hide, fruits, salt, silk, and trinkets. The game is played with cards that allow players to buy and sell goods, help you or hinder your opponent, and others that add a bit of spice to the game. Return to the dark continent where the players alternate turns with up to 5 actions each until one player reaches the goal and wins the game." Original description from Games4You. Players take on the role of merchants offering their wares from market stands. On a player's turn, he has five actions to choose from. Actions can be used to draw cards, play cards, and activate buildup cards. In order to sell wares, the merchants must first lay the wares out, since customers will only buy where all the wares they want are being offered. And since market space is at a premium, players have to think hard about which wares to offer. By owning important buildup cards and properly using the assets of other village inhabitants, the merchants succeed in attracting especially many customers to their stalls, making bargain buys, and messing with their opponents' plans. The first player to reach a set cash level through buying and selling of wares is the winner. The game's attraction lies with the many special cards. Many different combinations are possible during the game, and each game plays out differently as a result.
Designers
Publishers
- KOSMOS
- MINDOK
- Yaofish Games
- Rio Grande Games
- Filosofia Éditions
- White Goblin Games
- Quined White Goblin Games
Questions and answers
Jambo supports 2 players according to the catalogue. This is the publisher’s listed player count, so the game is designed for exactly that number of participants. Variants for other group sizes, if any, are described in the rulebook of your edition, so check it before setting up a different configuration.
The listed playing time for Jambo is 45 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Jambo for ages 12 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Jambo has a complexity rating of 2.1 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Jambo belongs to these categories: Card Game and Economic. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Take That, and Race. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Jambo are: Rüdiger Dorn. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Jambo as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.