Huckepack durch die Wüste

Huckepack durch die Wüste - freely translated "Porters through the Desert" - is a adventurous dice game.

Game components: - a cloth game board, 49 x 49 cm - 4 sets of 3 wooden game pawns (12 in total) - 1 die - the rules

From the game: Somewhere in Arabia, in a small settlement on the border of the never ending desert, a great tension can be felt. In the shadow of an old palm tree four bold nomad sons are planning a dare-devil adventure. What is their plan? Will they really try to cross the desert by the infamous west route? Don't they know the treacherous quicksand and all those other dangers which lie in wait for them? Have no fear! With cautiousness, good companionship and some luck this route is passable. Each caravan still has one place open - dare this adventure and join them!

The rules: Each player has three pawns with which to reach the large oasis in the middle of the board. Pawns are moved by throwing the die. A pawn can get stuck in quicksand, and then has to be rescued by another pawn of the same player. (Optional: or by rolling a six.) A rescued pawn is carried on the back of the other to the next oasis, where the pawn which was stuck has to rest till another pawn ends its turn there, or a six is rolled by the player.

When a pawn ends its move on a field where another pawn already is, it can climb on the others back, and be carried/ported by it. This is possible with both your own or other players pawns. (Multiply carrying is allowed.) However: a carried pawn should hop off before reaching the next oasis, as once the porter reaches it, it will drop off all carried pawns in the oasis! And likewise with resting pawns from being stuck in the quicksand: formerly carried pawns will have to rest till another pawn ends its turn there, or a six is rolled by the corresponding player.

When a pawn ends it turn on a place from which a short track continues (shown by a road sign), this may be taken on the next turn. Any carried pawns are carried along. To reach the end oasis, a pawn has to reach it, either by throwing the required number exactly or higher.

Winner of this adventurous journey is the player who has crossed the desert with his or her three pawns first.