# Camel Up ## General Info - **Year Published**: 2014 - **BGG Rating**: 7.0 - **BGG Rank**: #643 - **Players**: 2-8 (Best with: 5) - **Duration**: 20-30 min - **Weight**: 1.50 / 5 - **Designers**: Steffen Bogen - **Artists**: Dennis Lohausen - **Publishers**: eggertspiele, 999 Games, Albi, Brädspel.se, Ediciones MasQueOca, Fantasmagoria - **Categories**: Animals, Arabian, Dice, Racing - **Mechanics**: Betting and Bluffing, End Game Bonuses, Roll / Spin and Move, Track Movement, Variable Set-up ## Verdict If you're looking for a lighthearted, chaotic race game that's easy to teach and fun for a crowd, Camel Up is a fantastic choice. Its unique camel stacking mechanic creates hilarious, unpredictable moments. Hilarious, unpredictable camel stacking mechanic Accessible rules, quick to learn Engaging for large player counts Exciting betting and push-your-luck Luck can heavily influence outcomes Less strategic depth for hardcore gamers RECOMMENDED ## Description Get ready for a camel race like no other in Camel Up! In this super fun game, up to eight players dive into the excitement of predicting which of the five camels will cross the finish line in first and second place. The trick is, the earlier you place your bet, the more profit you can make – if you guess correctly, of course! But don't think it's just a random draw; things get interesting because the camels don't run in an orderly fashion. They might end up on top of each other, carrying a slower colleague towards victory (or disaster!). At the beginning of each round, all five dice are rolled to set the camels' starting positions. Then, for each 'leg' of the race, players choose a betting card for each camel, indicating how much they can win or lose depending on its final position. The big star of the game is the pyramid dice shaker, which releases one die at a time, revealing which camel will move. This mechanic adds a dose of suspense and strategy, as you need to decide when to stop betting to see the action unfold. Beyond the main bets, you can also use oasis cards to give camels a boost (or a hindrance) and pocket some extra coins. The game proceeds with bets resolved after each leg until one camel finally crosses the finish line. When this happens, all end-of-race bets are resolved, and the player with the most coins at the end is the grand champion of the desert races. It's a light, fast-paced game full of laughs, perfect for livening up any gathering! ## How to Play Game Objective Get ready for the craziest camel race you've ever seen! In **Camel Up**, you are members of Egyptian high society, gathered in the desert with a single purpose: **to earn more money** by betting on the right camels. It's not just luck that decides the winner here; the key is to read the race's dynamics, know the right moment to bet, and, of course, hope your favorite camels cross the finish line first (or last!). The player who accumulates the most **Egyptian Pounds (LE)** at the end of the race will be the grand champion! Setup Let's set up the table for this desert adventure! First, carefully punch out all cardboard pieces and assemble the **Pyramid**. It consists of an outer Pyramid, an inner Pyramid, a cross-piece, and a slider. Once assembled, place it vertically in the box. Place the **Game Board** in the center of the table. Separate the **Egyptian Pound coins and cards** by their values and place them next to the Game Board, forming the **"bank"**. Give each player a starting capital of **3 Egyptian Pounds**, which they must keep visible in front of them. Each player receives the **5 Race Betting cards** of one character and the corresponding **Desert tile**. The remaining cards and Desert tiles that are not used are returned to the box. Players keep their five cards hidden and place their Desert tile in front of them. Place the **5 Pyramid tiles** stacked in the appropriate space on the Game Board. Place the **5 Camels** in the tents next to the Leg Betting tiles, each on the tent of its color. Separate the **Leg Betting tiles** by color (5 colors in total). Stack the 3 tiles of each color as follows: the value 2 tile at the bottom, the value 3 in the middle, and the value 5 at the top. Place each stack in its color space on the Game Board. The youngest player receives the **Starting Player marker for the Leg**. Now, the youngest player determines the camels' starting positions: They roll the **5 Dice** at the same time. For each Camel whose die landed face up, it is placed in **space 1** of the Race track. For each Camel whose die landed face up, it is placed in **space 2**. For each Camel whose die landed face up, it is placed in **space 3**. If there are multiple camels in the same space, they are stacked (order does not matter). Remember: the top Camel is always considered ahead of the bottom Camel for ranking purposes. Finally, place the **5 Dice** inside the assembled Pyramid, pushing the slider and letting the Dice fall one after another. The full Pyramid is placed in its space in the center of the Race track. Game Turn The race is divided into **Legs**. A Leg ends when the last of the 5 Dice comes out of the Pyramid. The game proceeds clockwise, and on your turn, you must choose and perform **exactly 1 of the 4 possible actions**: Take 1 Leg Betting tile: Choose the Leg Betting tile from the top of any stack on the Game Board and place it in front of you. By doing so, you are betting that the Camel of that color will win the current Leg. You can collect as many Leg Betting tiles as you want, including several of the same color. Place your Desert tile on the Race track: Place your **Desert tile** in an empty space on the Race track (that has no Camels or another Desert tile). It cannot be adjacent to another Desert tile, nor can it be placed in space 1. If your Desert tile is already on the Game Board, you can use this action to move it to a different space, following the same rules. When placing (or moving) your Desert tile, choose which side will face up: **Oasis** or **Mirage**. If the **Oasis** side is up, the Camel unit that stops on it moves **1 additional space forward**. If the **Mirage** side is up, the Camel unit that stops on it moves **1 additional space backward**. If a Camel unit ends its movement on a space with a Desert tile, the owner of the tile immediately receives **1 Egyptian Pound** from the bank. If a Camel unit ends its movement on a space where there is another Camel unit, it stacks on top of the other unit (or underneath, if it's the Mirage side). Take 1 Pyramid tile and move 1 Camel: Take the Pyramid tile from the top of the stack on the Game Board and place it in front of you. In the next Leg scoring round, you will receive 1 LE for each Pyramid tile you have acquired. Then, use the Pyramid to move a Camel: Take the **Pyramid**, shake it, and reveal a Die from it. After shaking, place the Pyramid upside down on a flat surface in front of you. Hold the Pyramid firmly and push the slider towards you to open the hole and let a Die fall out. Wait a moment and release the slider again to close the hole. The head of the Pyramid must maintain contact with the table throughout the process. Turn the Pyramid right side up and place it back in its space in the center of the track. The revealed Die indicates which Camel moves and how many spaces (1, 2, or 3). If the Camel to be moved is part of a stack, it carries all Camels on top of it, forming a **Camel unit**. The Camels below stay where they are. If a Camel unit ends its movement on a space where there is another Camel unit, it stacks on top of the other unit. After moving the Camel, place the revealed Die in its color tent, so everyone knows which Dice have already come out of the Pyramid. Bet on the overall winner OR the overall loser: Secretly choose 1 of your **Race Betting cards** (of the color of the Camel you believe will win or lose the entire race) and place it face down in the appropriate Betting space (overall winner or overall loser). If there are already cards in the chosen space, place yours on top. Once placed, the card cannot be moved. You can continue betting as long as you have cards in your hand. End of a Leg A Leg ends when the last of the 5 Dice comes out of the Pyramid and the respective Camel has been moved. Before the next player takes their turn, a **Leg scoring round** occurs for all players: The **Starting Player marker for the Leg** is passed to the player to the left of whoever took the last Pyramid tile. Identify the leading Camel (the furthest on the track). If there is a stack, the leader is the Camel at the top of the stack. Each player adds (or pays) Egyptian Pounds based on the Pyramid and Leg Betting tiles in front of them: For each **Leg Betting tile of the leading Camel**, the player earns the value printed on the tile (5, 3, or 2 LE). For each **Leg Betting tile of the second-place Camel**, the player earns **1 LE**. For each **Leg Betting tile of other Camels**, the player **loses 1 LE**. For each **Pyramid tile**, the player earns **1 LE**. After all players have collected (or paid) their money, return all Leg Betting and Pyramid tiles to their appropriate spaces on the Game Board. Remove the Desert tiles from the Game Board and return them to their owners. Return the 5 Dice from the tents to the Pyramid. The player with the Starting Player marker for the Leg begins the new Leg. End of Game and Scoring The game ends **immediately** as soon as the first Camel crosses the finish line. First, perform the **Leg scoring round** one last time, as described above. After the last Leg scoring round, the **Final scoring round** occurs for the overall winner and loser. **Overall Winner Scoring:** Flip the stack of face-down cards in the Betting space for the overall winner. The card that was placed first (at the bottom of the stack) will now be on top. The player who placed the first card showing the actual winner of the race receives **8 LE** from the bank. The second receives **5 LE**, the third **3 LE**, the fourth **2 LE**, and the others **1 LE**. For each card in the deck that shows a Camel that is not the winner, the owner of the card pays **1 LE** to the bank. **Overall Loser Scoring:** The overall loser is the Camel with the least progress (if there is a stack, it is the Camel at the bottom of it). Follow the same scoring process as the overall winner for the overall loser betting cards. After the Final scoring round, all players count their money. The player who has collected the most Egyptian Pounds wins the game! In case of a tie, victory is shared. Tips for Winning Want to excel in this crazy race? Keep an eye on these tips: Bet at the right time on Leg tiles: The higher-value Leg Betting tiles (5 LE) are tempting, but also the riskiest. Observe the movement of the camels and the stacks. Sometimes, taking a 2 or 3 LE tile from a camel that is doing well can be safer and more profitable than risking everything on the 5 LE that might be knocked down. Use your Desert tile intelligently: Your Desert tile is a powerful tool to manipulate the race. Place it with the **Oasis** side up to boost your favorite camel or with the **Mirage** side up to slow down an opponent. Think about where the camels are likely to end their movements and use the tile to create favorable or unfavorable stacks, especially near the finish line. Don't underestimate overall loser bets: While betting on the overall winner is exciting, betting on the overall loser can be a stable and often overlooked source of income. Keep an eye on camels that are consistently falling behind and consider placing some of your betting cards on them. Sometimes, the "underdog" can be your biggest source of profit! ## FAQ ### What's the ideal number of players for Camel Up? Camel Up shines with more people! While it can be played with 2 to 8, the experience becomes more chaotic and fun with 4 or 5+ players, as the competition for bets and race twists increase significantly. ### Is Camel Up a complex game? Is it good for beginners? Not at all! It has a very light complexity (BGG weight 1.502/5), making it perfect for beginners and those not used to board games. The rules are easy to pick up, and the focus is on fun and interaction. ### How long does a game of Camel Up last? Games are quite quick, usually between 20 and 30 minutes. It's ideal for playing multiple times in a row or fitting between longer games. ### What are the main components of the game? You'll find a colorful board, camel miniatures, coins, betting cards, and of course, the famous pyramid dice shaker, which is a spectacle in itself and super functional! ### Is there a lot of strategy in Camel Up or is it pure luck? It's a fun mix! Dice luck plays a role, of course, but strategy comes in when deciding when and who to bet on, and how to use your oasis cards to influence the race. Knowing the right time to take a risk is key. ### Is Camel Up a game for children? Absolutely! From age 8 upwards, children can understand the rules and have a lot of fun with the excitement of the race and the betting. It's a great family game. ## Price Comparison ### Best Offers in Brazil - **Rejoga**: R$ 399,00 (/partner/go.php?p=rejoga&g=183&u=https%3A%2F%2Frejoga.com.br%2Fanuncio%2Fee3f2f76-909e-4c76-8c29-c384cae750ff%3Forigem%3Dboardgamesbot) ### Best International Offers - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 89.64 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=301535&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - See all on BoardGamePrices: https://boardgameprices.com/item/show/8785/camel-up?utm_source=boardgamesbot.com