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“''JUMANJI
A GAME FOR THOSE WHO SEEK TO FIND
A WAY TO LEAVE THEIR WORLD BEHIND
YOU ROLL THE DICE TO MOVE YOUR TOKEN
DOUBLES GETS ANOTHER TURN
THE FIRST PLAYER TO REACH THE END WINS
ADVENTURERS BEWARE:
DO NOT BEGIN UNLESS YOU INTEND TO FINISH
THE EXCITING CONSEQUENCES OF
THE GAME WILL VANISH ONLY WHEN
A PLAYER HAS REACHED JUMANJI AND CALLED OUT ITS NAME
— Instructions

"JUMANJI" is a seemingly antique board game with elaborate decorations to attract interest to the young in heart and easily bored. Anyone that has played this supernatural game has discovered that "JUMANJI" appears to have a mind of its own (some surviving players even claim that it is cursed) that doesn't rest until those who start playing it, gain the will to finish. The magical powers "JUMANJI" possesses vary from being able to send players into its African jungle-like alternate reality or to send the dangers of said reality into the real world like the original. "JUMANJI" gets antsy when it is left unfinished, and on occasion it sends out enticing drumbeats to attract potential players and victims.

"JUMANJI" is also known to have an outerspace-themed "sibling", known as: "ZATHURA" , with identical purpose to keep its finders busy and unable to escape unless the space adventure is finished.

Both "JUMANJI" and "ZATHURA" are unclear in their origins, but the games both share identical traits, intentionally seeking out the younger demographic who are easily bored and crave excitement in their mundane or boring lives. These games also have the tendency to mess with said players itself with their savage nature.

History

In 1869, Jumanji was discovered by brothers Caleb and Benjamin. After playing the game, they locked it in a chest and went to go bury it. Jumanji's drumbeats frightened them, but they stayed to finish burying the chest in hopes that no one will find it.

In 1969, Alan Parrish finds the chest and after digging it out, he breaks the lock and finds Jumanji inside it and takes it home, leaving the chest behind. That evening, Alan shows the game to his friend, Sarah Whittle, and invites her to play, having earlier unknowingly set up the rhino and elephant tokens, which have magically attached themselves to their starting points. When Sarah refuses to play, she unintentionally rolls the dice, making the rhino piece move as Jumanji assumed that she was playing. After Alan inadvertently rolls a five due to him being startled by a chiming clock, Jumanji thought he rolled and the elephant piece then moves. He is sucked into the game's dimension, unable to leave until someone rolls a five or an eight. Shortly after, a swarm of bats released by Sarah's earlier chase her of the mansion. Jumanji eventually ended up in the mansion's attic.

In 1995, Judy and Peter Shepherd found Jumanji after its drumbeats got their attention. Peter finds that he cannot move the rhino and elephant pieces. They unintentionally set up the crocodile and monkey pieces that magical set up on their starting points. Judy's roll summon giant mosquitoes and despite his sister's protests, Peter makes a roll that summons a swarm of monkeys who wreck havoc in the kitchen and later leave the house. Reading the game rules, they learn that everything will be restored when the game ends. Peter wants to put the game away, but is convinced to finish it so they won't get in trouble with their aunt, so they continue playing. Because Peter got doubles, he gets another turn. Peter rolls a five, releasing a lion and an adult Alan. When Judy rolls, nothing happens as it isn't her turn. Once Alan learns of the game is the same one he played in 1969, he agrees to continue playing, but they also need Sarah to finish the game, They locate Sarah and persuade her to join them. Sarah's move releases fast-growing carnivorous vines, which consists of poisonous purple flowers and carnivores yellow flowers called pods, one which almost eats Peter. Alan's next move releases a big-game hunter named Van Pelt, whom Alan first met in the game's dimension. Judy's roll summons a stampede of various animals, and a pelican steals the game. Peter soon retrieves it. After Peter tried to cheat to win the game, Jumanji was angered by this and it turned Peter into a monkey while sending his token back to the start. Van later steals the game to lure Alan to him, but Sarah, Judy, and Peter fell into his trap instead and after defeating Van with some unexpected help from Alan, they retrieve the game and head back to the mansion, now overrun by jungle wildlife. Sarah's next roll summons a monsoon and a crocodile, but both are poured out of the mansion after Carl and Nora force its doors open. Up in the attic, Alan's roll causes him to sink into the ground, but this stops thanks to Judy's next roll, leaving Alan and Sarah stuck in the floor. Peter's role releases giant spiders, but they are scared away when Sarah's next roll causes the house to break in half by an earthquake, freeing her and Alan in the process, but the game falls onto a lower floor. Alan retrieves it, but is confronted by Van. He quickly rolls, but one of the dice falls into the crack and eventually lands on a two, allowing Alan to win the game just before Van fires his gun and as Sarah shows up to protect Alan. The bullet disappears before it could hit them and Van's gun then follows. Van and all the animals that were released are sent back into the game's dimension in the form of a tornado, with Van briefly getting stuck in the gateway before being pulled through. The game then reverts everything back to the way it was before it all started, also sending Alan and Sarah back to 1969 and turning them back into teenagers; they maintain memories of the now-erased alternate timeline. Alan and Sarah tie bricks onto Jumanji and throw it into a river. Jumanji soon managed to break free and ended up on a beach, where it is discovered by two young French-speaking girls. It can be presumed that the girls played it and afterwards, discarded it into the ocean where it made its way back to Brantford.

Alex Vreeke's father found it and gave it to his son, but he is not interested in it. Seeing that people are more interested in video games now, Jumanji transforms itself into a game cartridge, with its box now left empty.

Appearance

Book

Jumanji Book Game

Judy and Peter play the game.

In the original picture book, the "JUMANJI" game is as simple as any other board game, being a folded board within a rectangular box. The game board is designed for two players that use simple playing pieces and dice, to move their token along an elongated squared path that starts in the deepest jungle and leads to the final space; "JUMANJI" itself, a city of golden buildings and towers. Each square has a unique written message that will manifest into the real world when a token lands on it. Only when the winner lands their token on the golden city and calls out the name of "JUMANJI" will the consequences vanish and everything become undone.

In the book's sequel, Zathura, Danny wanted to play "JUMANJI" with his brother after he found it, but Walter was uninterested as he saw the game's jungle animal / adventure theme as childish. Danny then discovered a second board game within the "JUMANJI" box, an outer space / sci-fi orientated futuristic game known as: "ZATHURA" .

1995

Jumanji 2 - Board Game 2

The game's board.

The most widely known version of "JUMANJI" is the 1995 film's depiction. "JUMANJI" is a stylized rectangular folded box, carved out of wood. The attraction of the game is down to the elaborate painting on the front, which is reminiscent of circus posters.

Front

The game's title is held together by a long spear to coincide with portraits in each corner of Van Pelt, a Monkey, a Rhinoceros and an Elephant against a deep jungle, vast lake and volcanic activity, all symbolize the exciting consequences in store; all of which are held together by a bronze zig-zag pattern akin to the book's golden city.

In the film's novelization, "JUMANJI" has a different painting layout, which adds Lions and exotic birds to the menagerie as well.

Contents

Inside the folded box rests the game board. Wooden play cards on each side contain written rules for playing the game; Ignoring the rules can lead to disastrous consequences for the player. Flip-lid cupboards store the game dice and playing pieces when not in use. The game board is decorated with carved fallen leaves, in amongst the four individual trails of squared pathways for each player that all lead to the crystal ball in the center, which is also covered by a bronze zig-zag pattern also (alluding to the book's golden city).

Abilities

Drumming

"JUMANJI" dislikes being left alone and unplayed; therefore, it will emit an enchanting but primal and primitive war-like drumbeat to attract the attention of any nearby children and entice them into playing the game. Adults seem to be oblivious to the drumming: evidently when Alan searched for the drumbeat source in 1969 while the construction workers headed for the snack van are unaware of the drums, while in 1995, Nora Shepherd tried to catch her niece and nephew's attention when they were clearly entranced by the drumming coming from the attic. The drumbeats will sound more upbeat and faster when children are close to it or when it desperately tries to get their attention.

However, the brothers Caleb & Benjamin were both frightened of the drum sounds due to their previous "JUMANJI" gaming experience, making Benjamin believe the game was actually after him when he fell into the pit with the game.

Auto control

Up to four players can participate in a round of "JUMANJI" gameplay, where turns are determined by whoever starts rolling the dice when they take out game's playing pieces, which are automatically telekinetically controlled to move along the paths on their own. The tokens automatically move along the pathways by themselves and cannot be removed by human hands until the game is finished. When placed on the board, they quickly move to their starting position. Once a specific player rolls on their turn, they must continue to play and take turns or the game will come to a halt and reject rolls from anyone else if it is not their turn. The four-game tokens or pieces are idol-like figurines of a Keratin Rhinoceros, a Metallic Elephant, an Obsidian Crocodile and a Jade Monkey.

  • An similar Elephant token later acts as a clue in the video game version.

Consequences

Jumanji Riddle

The game's riddle.

A prominent feature in all its appearances, once the player's piece lands on a square, "JUMANJI" 's crystal ball will provide a rhyming riddle message to inform players what will begin to manifest into reality, whatever the text reads, placing randomized consequences into the real world to challenge players. The animals, humans, the danger, and other characters that live in "JUMANJI" can't normally be killed and they can only be stopped by finishing the game, hence why the instructions advise players to not begin unless they intend to finish by reaching the game's crystal ball center, calling out the name of "JUMANJI" and therefore undo all the consequences and alternative timelines of the game.

Another aspect of the board game is a randomized consequence of actually transporting the player in question into the crystal ball, which is the gateway into the deepest, darkest jungle dimension of "JUMANJI" itself. They will be unable to leave until their riddle message has been resolved.

The only thing that the "JUMANJI" game hates more than being left unplayed (to the point its drum-like "heart" is heard) is cheaters, so whenever someone plays dishonestly by changing the dice or tampering with one of its inter-reality puzzles and minigames, that very player has to face magical punishment by getting turned into an animal, on top of other consequences, such as Peter's token being sent back to the starting space.

Time control

Parrish Mansion Staircase

The 1969 Staircase.

Jungle Mansion

The (alternate) 1995 Staircase.

"JUMANJI" can create and manipulate timelines whenever a round of gameplay has begun. The effects can be devastating and can leave a lasting impact, hence why the instructions advise players to not begin unless they intend to finish. The traditional objective to undo the consequences and timeline the game unleashes is to complete the whole game and call out its name. In the picture book, after Judy lands on the "JUMANJI" city and calls out the name, the consequences, and elements that were transported into reality had suddenly disappeared, and everything that suffered damaging had been undone.

In the original movie, all of the characters appear to believe that all of the dangers that have been released will simply be sucked back into the game when it's over and it will remain 1995. The reason time reverses to 1969 is because while the majority of the game was played in 1995, it actually began in 1969 and the consequences that had to be reversed included Alan being trapped for twenty-six years and the bats that Sarah released.

"JUMANJI" appears to save the memories of all that happens within it, evidenced by Alex Vreeke's finding and staying in a shelter built by Alan Parrish, despite Alan reversing back to his time in 1969 by finishing his game in the alternative 1995. Alex Vreeke suggests that Alan Parrish is not the only player to have gotten stuck in "JUMANJI" over time, further proven by Benjamin and Caleb's backstory, while the animated series further expands on this by Alan having several toys in his cave that do not belong to him but other "JUMANJI" players that did not survive at all or even left their world behind and became Manjis or Jamazons.

It has been suggested that "JUMANJI" may actually keep victims within its realm even for all eternity, evidently by the dilemma belonging to the individual who claimed to be the Master of Jumanji; who was really a brainwashed old man that was trapped for years longer than Alan and grew incredibly old and frail. Alan himself also had a deep paranoia that he would remain trapped in "JUMANJI" forever, even to the point of growing old and frail like the other man. He also had nightmares that Judy and Peter would still be playing the game to save Alan, even in their adulthood and parenthood.

In the video game version, "JUMANJI" retained the time altering powers of the board game. However, the video game's effect was different than the board game's. While the board game reversed time for Alan Parrish and Sarah Whittle to when they started playing in 1969 and relegated everything that happened to an alternate timeline that only they could remember, this was not so for the video game. Instead, the video game restored players to their original time periods, but didn't completely rewrite history or the players' memories as seen with the teenagers' inability to recall Alex Vreeke's house being anything, but the dilapidated ruin that they knew.

Invincibility?

Many previous players of "JUMANJI" tried to get rid of it, ranging from burying it, burning it, and/or floating it down a river to sink at sea. But due to its magic, the game always manages to survive, waiting to be played yet again so it could use its dangerous, yet character-building power on those who need/want to "leave their world behind" the most.

Transformation

"JUMANJI" can change its appearance if needed. It only did this once by turning from a board game into a video game cartridge in order to get Alex to play it, leaving its empty box behind.

Inner Dimension

"JUMANJI" houses a jungle dimension, to which its crystal ball acts as a gateway. It can bring things from its world into the real world depending on the crystal ball's message. Its inhabitants don't enter the real world through the crystal ball itself; they instead appear offscreen (it is not known how exactly does the game bring them into the real world). When sending people of animals into its world, they enter through the crystal ball by being sucked in like a tornado.

The video game version does this differently. When pulling people into its world, it magically sucks them in through the screen, but not in the form of a tornado. When sending people back to the real world, it does the same thing. In the third film, it is somehow able to do this without a screen and can even reach people from a far distance. It can also still bring its inhabitants out of its world as a herd of ostriches have ended up in the real world at the end of the film.

Trivia

  • According to author Chris Van Allsburg and film star Robin Williams; the name "JUMANJI" is the Zulu word for "many effects", which could account for its magic and ability to change forms. However, this appears to be incorrect, as there is no recorded instance of "JUMANJI" prior to the release of the book in the Zulu language. Therefore, it is likely that Allsburg and Williams were simply mistaken.
  • Conceptual art for the 1995 film’s logo reveals that a fifth token in the shape of a Lion idol was planned for the game, but ended up being unused in favour of a 1-4 player game. "JUMANJI" eventually ended up having up to five possible avatars when it transformed into a video game, albeit only four players could play.
    • More concept art has a Tiger being included in the "JUMANJI" zoology as one was part of the board game’s diorama painting design ideas, but Tigers ended up not appearing in the film yet were prominent in the animated series.
  • It is unknown how the game ended up back in Brantford in the second film, but it can be assumed that the girls who found it at the end of the first film threw it into the ocean following their experience with it, to which it floated its way back.
    • It is also unknown how the game got free of the bricks that were tied to it after Alan threw it into the river.
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