How to Play Pass the Pandas
Components
- 20 custom six-sided dice, each printed with four kinds of faces: Panda, Water, Bamboo, and blank (three blank sides per die).
Setup
Deal each player a starting number of dice based on the player count:
Return any unused dice to the box. The youngest player goes first; play passes clockwise.
Your Turn
Roll all of the dice in front of you (including any Pandas other players passed to you). Resolve every die by its face:
-
Panda - Pass the Pandas! Give each Panda die to any player(s) you choose. You can split them among different players however you like. Passing dice away helps you (fewer dice to clear) while making it harder for the receiver to win.
-
Water - Water drains away! Set Water dice aside; they are removed from the game.
-
Bamboo - The Bamboo Forest grows! Add each Bamboo die to the pile in the middle of the table (the Bamboo Forest).
-
Blank - Nothing happens. Keep each blank die in front of you to roll again on your next turn.
The Bamboo Forest rule (the catch)
You must roll at least one Bamboo each turn. If you roll no Bamboo, you must take all of the dice currently in the Bamboo Forest into your own pile (which may be none if the forest is empty). So the forest keeps growing turn after turn until someone fails to roll Bamboo and scoops it all up.
After you resolve every die, your turn ends and the next player rolls all of their dice.
Winning
The first player to end their turn with no dice in front of them wins. Remember: if you rolled no Bamboo, you must first take the whole Bamboo Forest, which can stop you from winning even if you otherwise cleared your dice.
