If a refreshing theme inspired by African folklore is what you’re looking for in a board game, let the animals guide you in Bumúntú.
Bumúntú is a 2-5 player game designed Tim Blank and published by Wizkids games. More on the lightweight side clocking in at thirty minutes playtime.
Bumúntú: $49.99
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Let the Animals Guide You
A common theme in African folklore is that animals are wise creatures who teach humans to do good and moral things. Based on the Bakongo culture of central Africa, you are a tribal leader seeking to befriend the animals.
Journey through the jungle and follow the animals’ guidance, each one moving you in a different pattern. As you travel, you will collect their tiles and earn their favor. But be warned: As fewer tiles are left in the jungle, you must be more strategic in how you move. Be the first tribal leader with the most favor and the animals will help bring your tribe to prosperity.
Contents:
- 1 Jungle Board
- 80 Animal Tiles
- 5 Tribal Leader Pawns
- 1 Animal Favor Board
- 10 Animal Favor Markers
- 32 Food Chips
- 5 Player Shields
- 5 Player Discs
Ages: 10+
Players: 2-5
Game Length: 30 minutes
Bumúntú: Gain Wisdom From the Animals
Bumúntú is based on the legends and folklore of the Bakongo tribe. Descending from the Kingdom of Kongo, the Bakongo tribe is the largest tribe in Central Africa. Animals are thought to give guidance and teach humans to do good and moral things. Your job as a tribal leader is to follow the guidance of the animals and gain their favor.
The gameplay in Bumúntú is very simple. Each game you will randomly select 8 of the 10 possible animal types to fill up the jungle. Then you will randomly place their favor markers from top to bottom on the chart. This will reflect how each animal scores at game’s end.
Each player can move normally one space in any direction or use the animal’s movement rules. Each animal has a particular movement pattern. For example, the Rhino moves all the way in one direction until hitting a wall and pushing all opponents as well. If you can fully utilize the animal’s movement you also collect the animal tile you started on. Each of the animal tiles also has a special bonus you collect. The brown square is an advancement tile which lets you swap any two adjacent animal favor tiles.
This can drastically change how each animal scores. Be mindful, even though you may be helping your own score you may accidentally help an opponent. The Banana symbol lets you collect a banana chit. These are useful for getting back into a favorable position or to offset an opponent’s attack against you.
Some animals such as the Lion or Crocodile can move you into bad spots. The last two symbols found on animal tiles are the Nkisi (small statues) and Yowa (spiritual symbols). These are a majority bonus and set collection respectively and can score you many points. The tribal leader with the most favor at the end wins.
I really enjoyed this game it was fast and light and very visually appealing. The theme is very unique and refreshing. There aren’t a lot of games inspired by African folklore so this definitely has a place in my collection. The artwork is very crisp and beautiful. The components are very nice. Each animal tile depicts its animal in a really cool tribal cave painting-like style.
The gameplay has a nice puzzle aspect to it as well. Overall a great game that isn’t a huge time investment. A delightful filler game that is sure to be a hit at game night, I hope you can check this one out.
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About the Author: Christopher Guyton
When not driving forklifts for a living Chris can be found pushing cubes and chucking dice at Gamer’s Guild in Spring Lake, NC
