Marmalade Games  Studio recently unveiled a trailer of their latest digital “board” game called JUMANJI: The Curse Returns. As the name suggests, the game is heavily based on the iconic 1995 Jumanji featuring all the original characters and themes. You can watch the trailer here on their official Twitter account.

JUMANJI: The Curse Returns was first released on Steam back on September 1st, 2021, with a lot of positive reviews. Now, Marmalade Games wants to expand the game into other platforms with mobile versions near completion. As of now, you can pre-register for JUMANJI: The Curse Returns on the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store.  

But keep in mind that JUMANJI: The Curse Returns is a premium title with a pre-order cost of $ 2.99. A Nintendo version of the game is also in development, set to launch soon, likely alongside the mobile versions. 

If you haven’t heard of Marmalade Games Studio, they are the ones who brought games like Monopoly, The Game Of Life, Clue/Cluedo, and Battleship to the digital medium(iOS, Android, PC, and Nintendo Switch).

JUMANJI The Curse Returns: Features & Gameplay

As the game was first released on Steam months ago, players have already uploaded tons of videos and walkthroughs on YouTube. The upcoming mobile version will be similar, if not the same, with obvious changes in the interface and controls.  

All the original characters can be seen in the trailer playing JUMANJI, the grown-up Alan Parrish & Sarah Whittle, and the siblings Judy & Peter Shepherd. 

Then we have the infamous hunter (exterminator), Van Pelt, along with the crocodiles, elephants, monkeys, mosquitoes, vines, basically everything from the original 1995 JUMANJI. So in total, there are 7 dangers from JUMANJI ready to stop you from finishing the game. 

JUMANJI The Curse Returns also features five iconic locations from the movie, namely the Attic, Riverbank, Town Center, Sir Sav-A-Lot, and of course, the Shoe Company. You lose the game when you are unable to defend these five locations from JUMANJI’s dangers.

The game also features the original soundtrack by award-winning film composer Christopher Willis.

How The Game Works

Like the movie, with each roll of the dice, new dangers are unleashed from JUMANJI into the surrounding town that is the five locations. Players must work together to banish the threats back into JUMANJI, then keep playing until one of your teammates reaches the center. 

Players must cycle through their deck and match the items to the danger to banish them back into the board. You can use a magic shield for defense as well as bonus items and token magic. 

Tokens(pieces) will charge whenever you use a magical flask. When fully charged, you can use it against any danger or banish Van Pelt in a single move. In addition, bonus items can add valuable seconds to the fight and reward you with team-up points when you help a friend escape the vines or by gifting magical objects. 

The game also features AI players in case you don’t have enough people for a team. And like the movie, there are four pieces or tokens to choose from – a Keratin Rhinoceros, a Metallic Elephant, an Obsidian Crocodile, and a Jade Monkey.

“ROLL THE DICE TO MOVE YOUR TOKEN – DOUBLES GET ANOTHER TURN – REACH THE CENTER TO WIN…” 

The Season Pass

Now, which online multiplayer game is complete without a Season Pass system. JUMANJI: The Cursed Returns features a Season Pass that includes new Maps and DLC expansions. It includes 3 exclusive tokens: the Hippo, Snake, and Zebra, available right now on Steam. 

Season Pass Features: COMING SOON 

• Play JUMANJI on 6 new Maps. Each will include 5 new locations, 2 new characters, 2 new tokens, and a new danger to defeat!
• The first new Map, Winter Lodge, will be an icy departure from the sunny town of Brantford, and the JUMANJI jungle will not be put off by the cold!
• DLC Expansions: JUMANJI: Welcome to the Jungle and JUMANJI: The Next Level.

As we can see, the developers play to incorporate the latest JUMANJI movies into the game through DLC. With all this new content coming after the new versions, fans of the franchise as well as the previous Steam players will be eagerly awaiting the release date.

That’s it for now; stay tuned for more gaming-related content.