Moon Leap

About this board game

Moon Leap is a track-racing and scoring game for 2–4 players, played in about 30 minutes. Each player guides five numbered pawns, valued from 1 to 5, as far down the board as possible.

On your turn, roll the d6 and move the pawn matching the result to the next free space on the track. A roll of 5, for example, can move the 5 pawn, or—when the relevant rule applies—be split between two of your pawns. The wild result can be used to move one token.

Once a player’s token has crossed the line determined by the number of players, rolls of 3, 4, or 5 may be divided between two of that player’s tokens. The possible splits are 3 as 1+2, 4 as 1+3, and 5 as 1+4 or 2+3, but both required tokens must be able to move.

Creating a chain of three or more adjacent pawns in your color earns another roll. This can trigger repeatedly, rewarding careful positioning and giving successful turns the potential to extend.

• Roll the d6 and move matching-numbered pawns.
• Use permitted split moves to advance two tokens.
• Build chains of three or more adjacent pawns to roll again.
• Score each pawn by multiplying its number by the number of its occupied space.

The game ends when the final three specially marked spaces are occupied. Pawns that were never played onto the board receive a multiplier of -5, while every other pawn scores according to its final position and number. The player with the highest total wins.

With its combination of dice decisions, open spaces, chain-building, and multiplication-based scoring, Moon Leap turns every move into a choice between immediate progress and a chance to keep leaping forward.