Jungle Cruise Adventure Game: A Voyage of Mystery and Misfortune

Disney’s Jungle Cruise Adventure Game is a 2-4 player board game inspired by the Disney Parks attractions. Players take on the role of a Jungle Cruise skipper, transporting passengers and cargo as they navigate the river. The game was designed by Prospero Hall and published by Ravensburger.

Synopsis

Alberta Falls, owner of the Jungle Cruise Navigation Company, is going on sabbatical, and she needs a family to take over daily operations while she is away. As a Jungle Cruise skipper, you have been hired to ferry members of four different families to the headquarters where Alberta will choose one family as temporary caretakers.

Along the way, you will have jungle encounters that will cause the loss of cargo and/or passengers. The more spaces that you move in a single turn, the more jungle encounters you must face. The jungle is a dangerous place. But, you can also gain additional cargo and find lost passengers along the way. Oh, and don’t forget to use your warning flare to help fend off those nasty jungle perils!

Reach the headquarters with your cargo and passengers intact . . . as much as possible. The first skippers to the end will receive bonus points (tips) for arriving in a timely manner. At the end of the game, everyone counts up their points from tips, passengers (members of the chosen family are worth more), and cargo (sets are worth more).

There are actually two versions of this game. There is the standard version that—that’s the version I will be reviewing—and a Disney Parks version that will only be sold at the, well, Disney Parks. Other than a far more detailed box, no photos have been revealed for the Disney Parks version. It is touted that the board will feature different details and a different game board layout. Expect to pay a premium for that version when the Disney Parks re-open.

The Components

Opening the box, I was greeted with a “letter” by Alberta Falls. It’s printed on the backside of the game board with a very nice dark wood design. I like that the designers added this thematic detail even though it was completely unnecessary.

What I don’t like—and this hit me a bit hard—is how small the game board is. It doesn’t even fill the box. A game board should fit snugly within the box to prevent sliding & jostling while also helping to keep game components in their compartments. While the size isn’t a deal breaker, it certainly is disappointing.

I would have loved a larger board with more room for the fun graphic details on the playing surface, which were created by artist Jacob McAlister. A larger board would also make the boat movers and tokens a better fit; the board components feel just a tad too large.

The game map combines elements from the Jungle Cruise attractions from both Disneyland and the Magic Kingdom. As a big fan of the Jungle Cruise, every fun detail is instantly recognizable and true to the attractions. The simulated paper texture adds even more thematic charm to the watercolor-esque artwork. Jacob also did the illustrations on the cards.

The Jungle Cruise wouldn’t be complete without puns. Every navigation card has a skipper pun in the “notes” section. With 80 cards in the deck, the cards do have duplicate illustrations, but the jokes and puns are all unique—many I have never heard before. That’s a detail that I really appreciate!

Since I store my board games on their sides (prevents box lids from collapsing under the weight of multiple board games), the deck cards slip out of their pocket and into the rest of the box. I like things to be tidy, so I designed a quick deck retainer that simply slips over the cards. During storage, the game board pins the retainer in place, which keeps the cards neatly contained. A simple solution to a simple problem.

The cardboard components are of good quality, and even the boat placards are thicker than what I was expecting. The Watch It Played video made them look a lot flimsier.

The dice were an unexpected pleasure. They are dirtied up to fit with the game’s theme, and they have an unusual texture that feels like bone—not that I know what bone dice feel like. I only wish that the boat movers didn’t look so new and clean.

Don’t get me wrong, the boats are wonderful movers with a good amount of detail. They just need some dirtying up like the dice. I think this would make them blend with all of the “aged” components as well as bring out the molded details. I’m on the fence about whether or not I should age them myself with some paint. Hmmm . . . I’ll have to think this one over.

Gameplay Experience

Normally, I would play a game with my nephews and/or sisters. However, due to the Coronavirus pandemic and local stay-at-home orders, I had to get a little creative and play by myself. I played with two players, playing as both.

The game is quick (playing solo), taking 30-45 minutes to complete a 2-player game. However, with real players, each taking their own time, I can see it extending to an hour. Longer with 3-4 players.

Although the board doesn’t contain very many spaces on the river path, the boats are never moving more than 1-4 spaces at a time. The chances of rolling a ‘1’ or a ‘4’ are small, as most rolls will be a ‘2’ or a ‘3.’ Rolling a ‘1’ isn’t fun, but it doesn’t happen too often, so children shouldn’t get discouraged unless they have a bad streak. I suggest letting them have  re-roll if that happens.

Losing passengers and cargo is a regular event. It’s unavoidable, and it’s going to happen a lot, so players should expect it. Of course, there are also plenty of opportunities to gain cargo and find lost passengers, so it balances out.

The one thing that the rule book does not elaborate on is what happens when two boats land on the same space. Since there are no rules stating that multiple boats cannot be on the same space, I assume that they can. It remedies potential problems with landing on outpost and clue spaces that would otherwise be frustrating. And, it fits thematically; there’s plenty of riverbank space for multiple boats to dock at the same time.

The gameplay, artwork, and pun-reading actually made me feel like I was on a Jungle Cruise attraction. Although, I felt more like a passenger than a skipper. Maybe that was because I read the puns to myself in my head. If I read them out loud to other players, would I feel differently?

Thoughts

I only have two gripes about the Jungle Cruise Adventure Game, one major and one minor. The game board needs to be bigger (major), and the boat movers need to be antiqued (very minor). Those gripes aside, the game is fun and light—perfect for families, kids, and Disney theme park geeks who are going through withdrawals (I feel ya).

The artwork is cohesive and beautiful, a feast for the eyes.

Gameplay is immersive, making players feel like they are on a Jungle Cruise attraction. And, no Jungle Cruise attraction would be complete without jokes and puns, of which there are plenty—a few are even tucked away in the rule book and game components. They’re a small, but important detail that the game designers absolutely nailed!

The game’s few shortcomings shouldn’t dissuade anyone from purchasing it. I still highly recommend this game, especially right now with people stuck in their homes because of the ongoing Coronavirus epidemic.

One Last Thing . . .

Okay, I went ahead with adding grime to the boat movers. I originally tried it with acrylic paints, but they looked absolutely horrible! I spent several hours soaking them in 70% isopropyl alcohol and scraping off all of the paint with a stiff brush. When they were as clean as I could get them, I tried a different approach.

Using a brush dipped in isopropyl alcohol, I applied “soot” from the Tamiya Weathering Master Set ‘B.’ After the alcohol had evaporated, I used cotton swabs—lightly dipped in more isopropyl alcohol—to wipe off the excess “soot” from the high points. This took me less than an hour to do.

The results are boat movers that better match the aesthetics of the game. Pictures don’t capture how good these really look.

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