- BGG rating
- 4.0
Tumblin' Monkeys: Banana Bandit
- 2–4 players
- 5–15 min
- BGG rank
- BGG #30,836
- BGG rating
- 5.5
Tumblin' Monkeys
1999
Rules assistance for Tumblin' Monkeys
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–4 players
- 15 min
- 5+
- Complexity 1.0/5
Rules assistant for Tumblin' Monkeys
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Tumblin' Monkeys is a board game released in 1999 for 2–4 players, 15 minutes per game, and ages 5 and up. It was designed by Garrett J. Donner, Michael S. Steer, Roger Ford, and Craig V. McKee and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling and Physical Removal.
Expansions
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About the game
This game is similar to the classic Ker Plunk. Players drop plastic monkeys through the hole in the top of the clear plastic "tree". Several colored sticks are skewered through the tree trunk to keep the monkeys from dropping. Players roll a die and must remove a stick of the same color rolled. Be careful when choosing a stick. You must keep each monkey that drops during your turn. The player with the fewest monkeys when they've all dropped is the winner.
Categories
Mechanics
Publishers
- Tomy
- Kod Kod
- Korea Boardgames
- Mattel, Inc.
- Ideal
- Padgett Bros
Questions and answers
Tumblin' Monkeys supports 2–4 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Tumblin' Monkeys is 15 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 Tumblin' Monkeys for ages 5 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.
Tumblin' Monkeys has a complexity rating of 1.0 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a 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.
Tumblin' Monkeys belongs to these categories: Children's Game and Action / Dexterity. Its main mechanics are Dice Rolling and Physical Removal. 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 Tumblin' Monkeys are: Garrett J. Donner, Michael S. Steer, Roger Ford, and Craig V. McKee. 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 Tumblin' Monkeys 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.