Our step-by-step guide to the rules of how to play Candy Land board game. This is laid-back kids racing game that takes you on a wonderful journey rich with texture. Not much to it, but a fun ride. The game is for 2 – 4 players at ages 3+. The rules for how to play Candy Land are incredibly simple to learn making it perfect for even the youngest little tykes.
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HOW TO PLAY CANDY LAND – WHAT IS IT?
Welcome to Candy Land… a world of sweet adventure! Come and visit some very special friends. Travel the path and stop along the way to explore the Peppermint Forest, the Gumdrop Mountains and the Chocolate Swamp. As you go, don’t forget to visit fun-loving Gramma Nutt and beautiful Princess Frostline. But watch out for the ever menacing Lord Licorice.
The object of Candy Land board game is to be the first person to reach the Candy Castle by landing on the multi-colored rainbow space at the end of the path.
HOW TO PLAY CANDY LAND – STEP BY STEP
Time Needed: Approximately 30 minutes.
This is a step by step guide for how to play Candy Land the classic kids board game with a creative theme. Additional information and special rules can be found below the list. These will be referenced for your convenience.
1. SETUP | Place Gameboard
To kick off how to play Candy Land setup, take the gameboard, unfold it and place it in the center of the gaming space.
2. SETUP | Place Pile of Cards
Shuffle up all the cards and place them in a facedown stack in the middle of the play area.
3. SETUP | Pick Character
Each player picks a gingerbread character pawn and places it on the START space on the gameboard.
4. SETUP | Choose Start Player
The final step of how to play Candy Land setup before getting into Gameplay is to choose who goes first. The book says the youngest player goes first but you can use the randomizer of your choice.
5. GAMEPLAY | Draw a Card & Move
On your turn, draw a card from the stack of facedown cards. Move along the game track based on the colors shown on this card. It may a single color block, multiple color blocks or something else. You basically get to move along that many colors on the track. See Movement and Cards below for more details.
6. GAMEPLAY | Repeat Until Rainbow
Players take turns taking one card and moving to the spaces it designates until someone reaches the rainbow space at the end of the track.
7. WINNING | Be The First To Reach The End
If you are the first person to reach the multi-colored rainbow space, you’ve reached the Candy Castle and won the game. Being the fastest in a race is all you need to know to master the steps for how to play Candy Landy.
HOW TO PLAY CANDY LAND – KEY INFORMATION
MOVEMENT
Always move in the direction of the signposts, unless a Picture card directs you to move backwards on the path.
Two or more Gingerbread characters pawns may be on the same space at the same time.
Shortcuts: There are 2 shortcuts on the path – the Rainbow Trail and the Gumdrop Pass. If your Gingerbread Character pawn lands, by exact count, on the orange space below the Rainbow Trail or on the yellow space below the Gumdrop Pass, you can take the shortcut immediately by moving your pawn to the purple space above the Rainbow Trail or to the green space above the Gumdrop Pass.
Licorice Spaces: There are 3 Licorice Spaces on the path. These Licorice spaces were put here by the sneaky Lord Licorice to try to slow you down. If you land on one of these spaces by exact count, your Gingerbread Character is stuck there for one turn.
CARDS
When you draw a card with one color block, move your pawn forward toward the Candy Castle to the first matching color space on the path.
When you draw a card with two color blocks, move your pawn forward toward the Candy Castle to the second matching color space on the path.
When you draw a Picture card, move your pawn forward or backward on the path to the Pink picture space on the board that matches the PINK picture space on your card. For example, of you draw a CANDY CANE / MR. MINT card, move your pawn to the pink space on the board that shows the candy cane.
GAME CONTENTS
- 1x Colorful Gameboard
- 4x Gingerbread Character Pawns
- 64x Cards
HOW TO PLAY CANDY LAND – IN CLOSING
We hope you can now say you know how to play Candy Land. This game is from way back in 1949 and it is still a strong seller. The game was to give something exciting and simple to very young children. It is that simple, you just move along a track, but with its interesting quirkiness, it has become more of a cultural phenomenon that people just know about. Certainly worth learning how to play Candy Land just to be part of that conversation.
