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Wahoo Board Game Rules

Parents can make simple board games for their preschoolers.
game image by Mitarart from Fotolia.com

Wahoo is a board game with several versions that date back to the American Southwest in the early part of the 20th century. Game play is based on the movement of marbles around a game board by two to four players. The winner is the first player to move all of his marbles into his home space.

Setting Up the Game

Begin the game by having each player take four marbles of one color and put them into the Tribal Grounds area of the same color. This is each player's starting space. Take turns rolling the die; the highest-rolling player moves first. Game play will continue to the left of the first player. You must move the last marble or marbles into your home space by an exact roll of the die in order to win.

Starting the Game

On your turn, roll the die. In the version of the game described in Reference 1, you would move your marble from the Tribal Grounds and onto the Starting Position if you roll a one or a six. If you do not roll either of those numbers, it would be the next player's turn. If you do roll a one or six, take one marble and put it on the Starting Position and then roll again. Follow the arrows around the game board, moving one space for each dot on the die. If at any time you once again roll a one or a six, either continue with the marble on the game board or select another marble to place on the Starting Position and roll again.

Meeting Other Marbles

During the game, you will encounter your own marbles and those of your opponents. When moving your marbles, you cannot pass one of your own marbles on the board or land on the same space as one of your marbles. Instead, use the die roll to move the marble that is farthest along the game board. If you are moving your marble and land on the same space as the marble of an opponent, return the opponent's marble to the Tribal Ground and take your place on the spot. You can also pass by an opponent's marble with no effect on either game piece.

Short Cuts

If at the end of your turn, you have a marble on the pink arrows located around the game board, you can use a short cut. During your next turn, roll the die and move clockwise around the arrows, leaving the shortcut when you are one arrow behind your home space. If you land one space ahead of a pink arrow you can choose to place your marble on the center space of the board. If you roll a one on the die, you can transport that marble to the pink arrow right before your home space.

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