Jungle Ascent – Race to the treasure

Jungle Ascent board game — We love the art style of Jungle Ascent.

Jungle Ascent is a fun family board game that young and old can enjoy together.

Like many jungle games, players compete to claim treasure. But unlike other jungle games where players have to find and uncover the treasure, in Jungle Ascent the treasure is out in the open.

It just happens to be perched at the top of a steep cliff.

The first player to make it to the top of the cliff gets to claim all the treasure.

But to get to the top, players need to scale the cliff by adding rope ladders and wooden bridges. Players also need to avoid all the hazards other players throw in the way.

Get a quick understanding of how to play Jungle Ascent in Caleb’s video review.
(Note: We’re publishing this video review as part of The Dice Tower network.)

Can the whole family enjoy Jungle Ascent?

Jungle Ascent is a board game that most family members can enjoy. It has a manufacturer recommended age of 8 and up and we think that’s pretty accurate. In addition to understanding the text on the cards, players need to use a bit of strategy to win.

So the youngsters in your family may not be ready for the game even though it’s pretty simple to learn and play.

The sweet spot for the game is the 8 – 12 year old range. It’s got enough strategy to keep players engaged and enough luck of the cards to make it anyone’s game for the win.

More than once, dad has been knocked back down the cliff by the kids just before claiming the treasure.

Cooperative play included
Those that are familiar with our reviews know that we love cooperative board games. Joining forces and working together as a team is a great way to bond as a family. And Jungle Ascent includes rules for cooperative play. Cool.

Instead of racing to the top of the cliff, all players need to make it to the top of the cliff to win. The big problem however is that the cliff is a lot more dangerous in cooperative play because at the end of each player’s turn, a hazard hits the board. And there can be 3 hazards per player on the board. Ouch.

The challenge is that all players need to reach the treasure before the card pile is depleted. So it’s still a race, just not against each other.

Love the art
We’re big fans of the artwork in Jungle Ascent. It’s cartoony with bright colors – which portrays the light nature of the game really well.

The hazards may be menacing, but they’re pretty cool to look at. Just don’t hang around for very long on a rope ladder when a Crusher is bearing down on you.

The extra powers in the cards are great fun too – from stealing cards from other players to rocketing ahead or swinging away from dangers on vines. Good, light fun.

How does Jungle Ascent score on the “Let’s Play Again” game meter?
Jungle Ascent scores high on our “let’s play again” game meter. Games don’t take very long and the quick set up makes it easy to start a new game as soon as one ends – just shuffle the cards, deal 5 to each player and you’re off and scaling a cliff.

Thanks 5th Street Games for another fun family board game!