Bunny Run

Bunny Run 

Farmer Big Boots has found the Bunny Gang in his garden! Run, Bunny, Run!

Kids' games are boring - for kids and the adults who play with them. Roll the dice, move that many spaces, what happens to you is what happens to you. From Candyland to Monopoly, chance plays the game more than the players.

That stinks. There are no decisions, and everything is fated by chance.

Bunny Run is different.

Bunny Run is a decision-oriented game of multiple possibilities. Each choice of each player matters and impacts on the other players. There is a small element of chance, but most of the game is about thinking and deciding. This makes the game fun for children and adults alike. Even if the child doesn't really understand the implications of their choices, they are still making decisions. Adults playing the game will devise strategies that will be undone by the choices (sometimes illogical!) of the children they play with. This game also works just with adults.

Bunny Run is a game for 3 to 5 players and should take less than 20 minutes to set up and play.

I've played with children as young as four. 

This link has colour and black and white files with rules, the 5 cards, map board, and tokens in both A4 and US paper sizes:  FILES Alternatively, at the end of this post are suggestions on playing without printing anything (No Print Play).

Bunny Run – Rules of Play

Premise: Farmer Big Boots has found the Bunny Gang in his garden! Run, Bunny, Run!

Aim: Escape the garden with the most carrots.

Setup
Each player chooses a Bunny Token and places them in the START box. Each player than receives a Turn Order card at random (with 3 players use the “Scared Hare”, “Concerned Rabbit”, and “Complacent Bunny” cards. With 4 players, add the “Average Bunny” card. For five players, add the “Happy Hare” card). Each player will need one six-sided die (d6).

Distribute the carrot tokens randomly along the path, maximum of 1 carrot per space.

Playing the Game
There are four steps to each turn.

STEP ONE: CHOOSE A NUMBER

 Each player chooses a number face up on a d6 and covers it with their hand.

·         If you have the “Scared Hare” card you will have to add 6 to your number (you might like to use two d6 – one set to “6” and the other to a number of your choice.

·         If you have the “Complacent Bunny” card you can only choose the numbers 1, 2, or 3.

Once all players have chosen a number, lift your hands to reveal the number.

STEP TWO: MOVE THE BUNNIES

The player with the “Scared Hare” card moves first, followed by the other players in the order on their card.

A bunny moves the number of spaces on the player’s d6. Do not count a space with another Bunny in it (HOP over it). If you end your move in a space with a carrot, pick it up and place it in front of you.

STEP THREE: MOVE THE BOOT

On the first turn place the Big Boot token in the START space. On every other turn the player with the “Complacent Bunny” card rolls a d6 and moves the boot that many spaces. If the Boot reaches a space next to a Bunny it stops. The Bunny next to the Boot must hop to the next empty space and drop 1 carrot (if it has one – return it to the box).

After moving the boot, if it is six or more spaces from the nearest bunny move the boot until it is TWO spaces behind the nearest bunny.

STEP FOUR: GIVE OUT THE CARDS

The Player whose Bunny is closest to the Boot gets the “Scared Hare” card – they will move first next turn.
The Player whose Bunny is furthest from the Boot gets the “Complacent Bunny” card – they will move last next turn.
The other players get the cards in between – the second closest bunny gets “Concerned Rabbit”, the third gets “Average Bunny”, and the Fourth gets “Happy Hare.”

After Step Four, return to Step One for the next round.

End of the Game

The game ends when all bunnies have left the garden by reaching the END space.
Count each player’s carrots. The player with the most carrots wins the game.
In the event of a tie, the younger player wins.

 FILES

No Print Play

How to play without printing everything out:

Each player will need a distinct piece to be their bunny (and one for the Boot), a d6, and a bunch of tokens (I use about 30) to represent the carrots.

Use the map board provided or design your own. You could lay a couple of rulers or strips of paper on a chess board to make a race track of whatever size you desire. 

Print out the cards for turn order, use playing cards (Ace to Five), or just remember who moves when - remember - the bunnies move in order of closest to the "BOOT" to the furthest.