How to Play Gobblet

Learning how to play Gobblet is pretty simple. Gobblet can be most closely compared to an advanced form of Tic Tac Toe…. you are trying to get four of your pieces in a row while your opponent works on getting 4 of his/her pieces in a row.

Sounds Simple Enough.

But there is a twist that makes it quite a bit more complex… Your pieces come in 3 sizes, and are hollow; they can Gobble up smaller pieces. Sound intriguing? Read on…

How to Play Gobblet

Stack all your pieces into 3 piles, by size on next to the board. On your turn, take one from the top of any of your piles, and place it on a square. If you already have a piece in play, you can use it.

Now, take turns, until someone gets four in a row.

But (and this is a big giant BUT) the pieces you put down are different sizes, and can slip over each other… sort of like those Russian Dolls. This means the other player can cover your piece….and you can cover theirs. So, logically, the bigger your piece is, the less likely it is that you will get covered.

Basically, your placement on the board is not permanent, and can easily be foiled by an opponent. Or, you can mess them up by covering up their piece.

Pieces can also be uncovered. You want to move your piece to another space… that’s fine. But before you pick it up, try to think… did you leave your opponents piece under yours? Will picking up your piece give him an advantage?

The longer the game goes on, the more complex it gets. It’s not unusual to accidentally let someone else win because you forgot they were there!

Who Can Play the Gobble Board Game?

This is a good game for young and old. The box says 7 and up. It encourages strategy, and memory… what color piece was under there again? I know there is a Gobblet junior version… but I don’t think the regular version is that difficult for most game-playing kids.