About Jakaroo
Jakaroo is the marble race game that took over majlis evenings across Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the Gulf. Each player races four marbles around a 76-square track and into a four-square home lane. There are no dice: every move is a playing card, and every card has its own power.
An ace or a king brings a marble out, the jack swaps your marble with any other, the four moves back, the five moves any marble, the seven splits between two marbles and the king sweeps away every marble in its path. Play as a team with Sami against Nour and Karim, in a four-player free-for-all, or one against one.
How to play
- Tap a card, then a glowing marble. A or K brings a marble out of home onto your start square.
- Land on a marble to send it home. A marble sitting on its own start square cannot be passed or hit.
- J swaps, 4 goes back, 5 moves any marble, 7 splits, K kills everything it passes. Q = 12, A = 1 or 11.
- Enter your home lane with the exact count. No legal move? Burn a card. Get all marbles home first to win.
About Jakaroo
Jakaroo became one of the most loved games of Gulf gatherings because it mixes a simple race with clever card tricks. Partners help each other, a single king can wipe out a rival's progress, and the four that moves backwards is often the fastest way home.
Tips to score higher
- Use a 4 right after a marble comes out: going back four from your start puts it just four squares from your home lane.
- Keep an ace or a king for emergencies; without them you cannot bring a marble back out after it is sent home.
- A marble sitting on its own start square cannot be passed or hit. Use it as a wall in front of a rival.
- Save the jack for a big swap: trade your back marble for a rival marble about to reach its home lane.
Jakaroo FAQ
Which cards bring a marble out?
The ace and the king. The ace can also move 1 or 11 squares and the king 13.
What happens when I finish before my partner?
In team mode you keep playing your cards on your partner's marbles until the whole team is home.
