Pegs and Jokers

About this board game

Pegs and Jokers is a family racing game for 2–8 players that takes about 30 minutes to play. Players link the gameboard segments, choose their colored pegs, and race to move all five of their pegs to their Home space first.

Movement is controlled by playing cards, with different cards producing different results. A five moves a peg five spaces, while a ten allows a peg to move ten spaces. An ace moves a peg one space ahead, and an eight sends a peg backward, creating opportunities for both progress and setbacks.

• Race all five of your colored pegs around the board.
• Use playing cards to determine movement.
• Play a joker to send an opponent’s peg back Home.
• Be the first player to move all five pegs to your Home space.

The joker is the game’s defining surprise. Just as an opponent’s peg is nearly around the board, a joker can send it back Home, turning a promising position into a major setback and keeping the race tense until the finish.

With its straightforward card-driven movement and a blend of luck and simple strategy, Pegs and Jokers is designed as an accessible family game. The board is assembled by linking gameboard segments, and players select their colored pegs before the race begins.

Released in 1975, Pegs and Jokers offers a clear objective and easy-to-follow turns while leaving room for tactical decisions about movement and timing. Versions featuring large, one-piece wood boards instead of modular paddles are known as Joker Marbles.