Jungle Chess — free online Board game
Dou Shou Qi, the Chinese animal chess: the rat eats the elephant, lions leap the river, the den wins.
Jungle Chess, known in China as Dou Shou Qi (斗兽棋, the animal fighting game), is free to play in your browser against the computer or a friend. Each side has eight animals ranked from the elephant (8) down to the rat (1), and you win by walking any animal into the enemy den. A stronger animal eats a weaker or equal one, with one famous twist: the little rat can eat the mighty elephant, while the elephant can never touch the rat. Two rivers cross the middle of the board — only the rat can swim, and the lion and tiger can leap straight across unless a rat is in the way. Three traps guard each den; an animal caught in an enemy trap loses all its strength and can be eaten by anything. Animal pictures and rank numbers make it easy for children and beginners. Three computer levels, two-player mode and undo. No download, no sign-up.
Quick start
- Press Start, choose a level (or 2 players) and whether you play Red (first) or Blue.
- Tap one of your animals: white dots show where it can step, a yellow ring marks an animal it can eat. Tap a target to move.
- Each animal shows its rank (8 elephant … 1 rat). Bigger eats smaller; the rat eats the elephant.
- Walk any animal into the enemy den (the castle at the far end) to win.
How to play Jungle Chess
- The board has 7 × 9 squares: two rivers in the middle, a den at each end, and three traps around each den. Red moves first; players take turns moving one animal one square up, down, left or right.
- An animal may move onto an enemy animal of equal or lower rank and eat it. The rat (1) is the exception: it can eat the elephant (8), but the elephant cannot eat the rat.
- Only the rat can enter the water. A rat in the water cannot attack an animal on land, and cannot be attacked from land; two rats in the water can fight each other.
- The lion and the tiger can jump across a river in a straight line, landing on the first square of land beyond — unless a rat (of either side) is swimming in the way.
- An animal standing in one of the opponent's traps has rank 0 and can be eaten by any enemy animal. Your own traps do not weaken you.
- You may never enter your own den. The first animal to enter the opponent's den wins the game; you also win if the opponent has no animals or no legal move left. A hundred moves without a capture is a draw.
The animals
- 🐘 Elephant8
- The strongest animal — but it can never eat the rat, and the rat can eat it.
- 🦁 Lion7
- Can jump across the rivers, horizontally or vertically.
- 🐯 Tiger6
- Can also jump across the rivers.
- 🐆 Leopard5
- Moves one square on land.
- 🐺 Wolf4
- Moves one square on land.
- 🐶 Dog3
- Moves one square on land.
- 🐱 Cat2
- Moves one square on land.
- 🐭 Rat1
- The weakest, but it swims, blocks river jumps and can eat the elephant (from land).
Controls
- Move: tap an animal, then a white dot or a yellow ring
- Undo: the Undo button or the U key (against the computer it takes back its reply too)
- Keyboard: Enter lets the computer play a move for you; Esc cancels a selection
- A dashed outline means the animal is standing in an enemy trap with rank 0
Strategy tips
- Keep your rat near your elephant's enemies: the enemy rat is the only real danger to your elephant.
- A rat sitting in the river stops the enemy lion and tiger from jumping — a cheap but strong defence.
- Guard your traps: an enemy that steps into one can be eaten by your cat or dog.
- Attack the den from two sides; one defender cannot cover all three traps.
Frequently asked questions
Can two animals of the same rank eat each other?
Yes. An animal can eat an enemy of the same rank, so the first to attack wins the exchange.
Why can't my rat eat the elephant?
The rat can only eat the elephant from land. A rat coming out of the water cannot attack anything on land.
Where does the game come from?
Dou Shou Qi is a traditional Chinese game, well known since the early twentieth century and still played by children all over China.
Is Jungle Chess free?
Yes. It is completely free in your browser, with no download, no account and no in-game purchases.