Baby Monster Race

The hilariously awful card-powered board game

2–6 players · Ages 7+ · 15-20 minutes

Speedy Sloth Active Anemone Straining Starfish Turbo Tortoise Sprinting Slug Lethargic Loris

The chaotic party game where losing is winning

Want to cross the finish line first? Bad idea.

Baby Monster waits at the finish line. Sometimes he is happy. Sometimes he is hungry.

And when he is hungry... you are out.

In this fast card game you move your animal towards the finish line. But the closer you get to the end, the greater the danger.

Happy Baby? You stay in the game.

Hungry Baby? You get eaten.

The fastest player does not win here. The player who handles risk best wins.

  • 2–6 players

  • Ages 7+

  • 15-20 minutes

  • Play with cards or with the app

  • Perfect for friends, families and game nights

Baby Monster is sleeping. For now.

1. What is Baby Monster Race?

Baby Monster Race is a board game in which players move from Start to Finish — but the closer you get to the finish line, the greater the danger.

Baby Monster lives at the finish line. Sometimes he is sweet. Sometimes he is hungry.

In this game:

  • Bad luck is good luck

  • Good luck is danger

  • Being last is the best

2. Object of the game

You do not want to finish first. You want to handle risk cleverly.

With 2 players

As soon as one player is eaten, the other player wins immediately.

With 3 or more players

When one player is eaten:

  • Keep playing until all cards from the draw pile and from players' hands have been played.

  • The player standing furthest from the finish line wins.

Players may also keep playing until only one player remains, but starting a new game with everyone is usually more fun.

3. Contents

  • 1 game board (Start → Finish) with 10 steps between start and finish

  • 6 animal pawns: Speedy Sloth, Sprinting Slug, Active Anemone, Turbo Tortoise, Straining Starfish, Lethargic Loris

  • 48 Play Cards

  • 20 Baby Monster Cards or the Baby Monster App (optional alternative to the cards)

4. Setup

1. Place the board in the middle of the table.

2. Shuffle the Play Cards and place them face down as a draw pile.

3. Choose how you will play with Baby Monster.

Option A – With Baby Monster Cards

  • Shuffle the Baby Monster Cards.

  • Place them face down next to the finish line.

Option B – With the App

  • Start the Baby Monster App.

  • You see Baby Monster's house.

  • Place the phone in landscape in the holder, just past the finish line.

  • Baby Monster is sleeping... for now.

4. Each player chooses an animal pawn and places it on Start.

5. Deal the starting cards:

  • 2, 3 or 4 players → 6 cards each

  • 5 players → 5 cards each

  • 6 players → 4 cards each

These are Play Cards.

6. Determine the starting player: whoever had the worst luck recently begins.

5. Types of cards

There are 2 types of cards in the game.

Play Cards

These create all movement and interaction on the board.

Baby Monster (cards or app outcome)

These decide whether you survive or get eaten when you reach the finish line.

6. Play Cards

There are 3 categories of Play Cards.

Plus cards (22)

(+1, +2, +3) Move forward the number of steps shown on the card.

Distribution: +1 ×5, +2 ×9, +3 ×8.

Minus cards (12)

(−1, −2, −3) Move backward the number of steps shown on the card. You can never go past Start.

Distribution: −1 ×5, −2 ×4, −3 ×3.

Sabotage cards (14)

Move Another Player (7) — Move Other +1 ×3, +2 ×2, +3 ×2. Choose another player. That player must move forward the number of steps shown on the card. Can be stopped with Action Blocked or Action Reversed.

Swap Places (3) — Choose another player. You swap positions on the board. You each stay in your own lane. Can be stopped with Action Blocked or turned around with Action Reversed.

Action Blocked (2) — May be played immediately when you are the victim of Move Another Player or Swap Places.

  • The action is cancelled completely.

  • You stay in your current position.

  • The other player does not carry out their action.

  • You and the other player each draw one new card from the draw pile.

  • Play then continues in the normal order.

Must be played immediately when you are targeted.

Action Reversed (2) — May only be played immediately when someone plays Move Another Player against you.

  • The player who wanted to move you must now move forward that number of steps themselves.

  • You each draw one new card.

  • Play then continues in the normal order.

7. How to play

Play proceeds clockwise. A turn consists of:

1. Play exactly 1 Play Card.

2. Carry out the effect completely.

3. Draw 1 new Play Card.

If you have cards, you must play.

8. The finish line and Baby Monster

Reaching the finish line is not a victory. It means: Baby Monster wakes up.

As soon as a player crosses the finish line — through their own card or through a sabotage card — that player must immediately draw a Baby Monster Card or shake the phone. If it happened through another player's action and the result is a Happy Baby, play simply continues in the original order.

Playing with cards?

Draw 1 Baby Monster Card.

Playing with the app?

1. Take the phone out of the holder.

2. Shake the phone.

3. You hear a bell.

4. Put the phone back in the holder.

5. A random animation plays.

Chances: 60% Happy Baby, 40% Hungry Baby.

Happy Baby

You stay in the game. From your next turn you try to move back towards Start. Still standing on the finish line? Then you must draw a new Baby Monster outcome on your next turn.

Hungry Baby

You get eaten. You are out of the game immediately.

9. Empty draw pile

Is the Play Card draw pile empty?

  • Players keep playing exactly 1 card per turn.

  • No new cards are drawn.

  • This continues until all cards have been played from players' hands.

If the game has not ended once all cards have been played — from the pile and from hands — shuffle the pile, deal everyone 6, 5 or 4 cards again (depending on the number of players) and continue the game from where it left off.

10. End of the game

With 2 players

As soon as one player is eaten, the other player wins immediately.

With 3 or more players

As soon as one player has been eaten:

  • Keep playing until all cards (draw pile and hands) have been played.

  • The player standing furthest from the finish line wins.

  • In case of a tie, take turns drawing a Baby Monster Card (or shaking the phone) until one player remains.

11. Special situations

1. If you are attacked with a sabotage card, you can block it or reverse it. After a reverse, the attacker cannot immediately play another reverse on top of it. There is always one sabotage action and one defence. Play then continues normally.

2. If someone standing on the finish line pushes another player past it with Move Another Player while staying on the finish line themselves, the player who was pushed shakes or draws first, and the pushing player after that.

3. Action Reversed and Action Blocked have no effect at the moment you play them if you are not being attacked. Your pawn simply stays where it is.

Speed is dangerous. Staying behind is smart.

Welcome to Baby Monster Race.

Baby Monster Race game board - finish line