Ribbit

Overview

Ribbit is a children’s racing game for 2-5 players (ages 5-10) designed by Reiner Knizia. Five colorful wooden frogs race along a lily pad track toward the finish. Each player secretly selects which frog they want to win, then plays movement cards that can move ANY frog forward or backward. The key twist is that frogs can jump on top of each other, and when a frog carrying others moves, it carries all frogs on its back. This creates surprising strategic depth beneath the simple exterior.

Components

• 5 Wooden frog figures (5 different colors)
• 5 Secret identity cards (1 per frog color)
• Movement card deck (cards showing frog colors and movement values)
• Lily pad track (game board)

Setup

1. Place all 5 frogs on the starting lily pad.
2. Shuffle the 5 secret identity cards and deal 1 to each player face-down. Each player looks at their card but keeps it secret. (With fewer than 5 players, leftover identity cards are set aside unseen.)
3. Shuffle the movement card deck.
4. Deal 5 cards to each player.

Turn Structure

On each turn:

1. Play a Card: Choose one card from your hand and play it face-up.
2. Move a Frog: Move the frog shown on the card forward or backward the indicated number of spaces.
3. Stacking: If a frog ends its move on a lily pad occupied by another frog, it jumps ON TOP of the other frog.
4. Draw a Card: Draw a new card from the deck to refill your hand to 5 cards.

Actions

• Move Forward: Play a card to move the depicted frog forward along the lily pad track.
• Move Backward: Some cards allow (or force) backward movement.
• Stack Frogs: When a frog lands on an occupied lily pad, it jumps on top, forming a stack.
• Carry Frogs: When a frog at the BOTTOM of a stack is moved, ALL frogs above it are carried along.
• Catch-Up Cards: Special cards that apply only to the frog furthest behind, helping keep all frogs in the race.

Scoring / Victory Conditions

• The game ends when any frog reaches the final lily pad.
• Players reveal their secret identity cards.
• The player whose secret frog is the one that reached the finish line wins.
• If no player’s secret frog wins (possible with fewer than 5 players), the player whose frog is in the lead wins as a secondary condition.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• Secret Identity: Players do not reveal which frog is “theirs” until the game ends. This means players must move other frogs as misdirection.
• Stacking Order: Only the BOTTOM frog in a stack can be moved independently. Frogs on top are passengers. If a top frog’s card is played, that frog hops off the stack and moves independently.
• Catch-Up Mechanic: Some cards target the last-place frog specifically, ensuring all frogs remain competitive.
• Bluffing: Savvy players will move frogs that are not theirs forward to disguise their identity, and may move their own frog backward as misdirection.
• Fewer Than 5 Players: With fewer players, some frogs have no owner. These “wild” frogs cannot win for anyone but can still affect the race.
• Card Management: With 5 cards in hand, choosing which to play and when is the core decision.

Player Reference

Card Type	Effect
Colored Movement (+)	Move that frog forward X spaces
Colored Movement (-)	Move that frog backward X spaces
Last Place Special	Move the frog in last place forward

Key Rule: Frog lands on occupied pad = jumps on top. Bottom frog moves = carries all frogs above.

Win: The player whose secret frog reaches the finish first wins.