About Jabberwocky
Jabberwocky is a microgame collection curated by Peter C. Hayward and published by Jellybean Games, with art by Tania Walker drawn from Lewis Carroll’s poem. The components are tiny: three Jabberwocky cards, fifteen number cards (1 to 5 in three colours) and 24 gems. The boxed game holds eight games by eight designers; the print-and-play covers five of them: Bandersnatch, a solo puzzle by Joel Colombo; Borogoves, a 1–2 player map-making game by Karl Lange; Gyre, a 2–3 player area control game by Marek Tupy; Mimsy, a 2–3 player mancala race by Joe Myron; and Slithy, a 3–7 player negotiation game by Patrick Chapman.
Each game takes 10 to 20 minutes, so the set suits couples, families and anyone who likes abstract games with a different puzzle each night. The product page says ages 10 and up; the rulebook says 8+. The full 56-page rulebook is included, so you also get the rules for Brillig, Gimble and Mome, which use the same cards. The files are free for personal use on jellybean.games, so the download button goes there.
How to play in one minute
Every game starts the same way: shuffle the fifteen number cards, keep the three Jabberwocky cards to hand and put the gems in a supply. Bandersnatch, the solo game, shows the style:
- Line up the three Jabberwocky cards to store “broiled” gems, deal nine number cards face up in a 3 × 3 grid and draw two cards into your hand.
- On a turn, swap a card from your hand with an empty card on the grid to add or remove gems, following the numbers and colours on the cards.
- When a card carrying gems is surrounded on all sides by other cards carrying gems, its gems are broiled and move to the Jabberwocky cards.
- The game ends when no moves are left or you run out of the third colour of gems. Score the broiled gems of the first two colours plus any third-colour gems still on the grid.
- Reach 10 points or more to win. The other four games use the same deck for map-building, area control, a mancala race and bluffing bets under a secret limit.
What’s in the PDF
- Rulebook: 56 small pages in colour with a “which game?” guide by player count.
- Rule cards: 4 Letter sheets with a reference card for each game.
- Number cards and Jabberwocky cards: 5 Letter sheets in colour. Print on card stock, cut, and add 24 gems or any small tokens in three colours.
In the PDF
- Rulebook (56 pages) covering all eight games of the boxed edition
- Rule cards (4 pages, Letter)
- Number cards and Jabberwocky cards (5 pages, Letter)