In this article, you’re going to find 13 board games that start with J. You’ll find some familiar titles, but some you probably haven’t heard of.
Jumping Jack
- Designed for younger children who are 3+, this game requires players to try to collect a large number of carrots so that they can feed a rabbit.
- The playing area is a hill with plastic carrots sticking out of the side, which is cute and appealing to kids.
- On their turn, players spin a wheel to see what kind of action they can take on their turn.
- Most turns allow players to take 1 or 2 carrots from the hill, but some require players to miss a turn or return a carrot that they have already collected.
- As each carrot is taken from the hill, the rabbit on top may be launched, and the player who catches it earns more carrots.
- The player with the most carrots at the end wins, which helps reinforce counting.
Jumanji
- Between 3 and 4 players can battle in this game, rolling the custom die and trying to move across the board and through the jungle.
- There are many dangers in this game, and players must draw a danger card and then race to figure out the secret message before time runs out.
- By using the decoder, players can try to determine what the message is on their cards before disaster strikes.
- Other players will race against time in order to rescue the player who drew a danger card.
- As the “Doomsday Grid” fills up, the jungle will slowly overpower the board.
- When the board is completely filled then the game is over and all players lose.
Jungle Speed
- Players rely not only on their ability to observe the game and look for problems that may arise, but also on their fast reflexes in order to win this game.
- While the game is funny and players tend to laugh a lot, everyone must have a steady hand in order to win.
- As players race to get rid of their cards, they also have to keep an eye on when they can make a move for the wooden token in the center of the board.
- When identical cards are played, then players can try to grab the center token, but players need to be careful, as there are some that are almost identical and can easily fool everyone.
Junta
- The players in this game represent families located in the Republica de los Bananas.
- There are between 7 and 9 rounds in the game where players draw cards, roles are assigned, money is distributed, locations are chosen, and there may be a coup.
- Although perfect for 4 to 7 players, there are variants for 2 or 3 players to play.
- One player is elected as El Presidente, and then they tell the other players what their roles will be.
- El Presidente then sets the budget from the game, comes up with allocations, and tries to keep players from overthrowing the government.
- Players can easily start a coup when they are unhappy, try to assassinate each other, or be elected as El Presidente.
Jerusalem
- Set in the 12th century, this game is filled with power struggles and intrigue.
- Each player tries to take control of major areas in the city, including the Tower of David, the Nobility, the Church, the King, the Market, and the Military.
- By gaining favors from important leaders in the city, players will be able to put their own men and forces into the different areas of the city.
- The one who has the largest number of forces in a particular area is the one who controls it.
- Each player can build new floors on their towers when rounds end.
- By managing special privileges and events, players can try to build the largest towers in the city and win.
Jenga
- Tower building game features durable wooden blocks that are stacked together, 3 at a time, to create a tall tower.
- Setup can be a little time-consuming, as the blocks have to be stacked correctly in order for the game to work, but then game works quickly.
- The player who constructed the tower goes first and removes one block from the tower and places it on the top.
- It’s not allowed to remove blocks from the top floor of the tower, but any other blocks can be removed.
- As players can only use one hand to remove the block, players have to have great fine motor skills.
- The player who causes the tower to fall over loses the game.
Just One
- In this cooperative game, players must work together to try to uncover the mystery words.
- By finding and providing great clues to teammates, players can help their team win, but identical clues will cancel each other out and can’t be used.
- The goals is to get a high score as close to 13 as possible, and players get 1 point when they get a right answer.
- Wrong answers cause players to lose 2 cards, while not providing an answer only causes players to lose 1 card.
- This game is language dependent, which means that it is not ideal for younger players who may not have a great grasp of the English language.
Judge Dredd: The Cursed Earth
- With 3 different play modes to choose from, including single player, competitive, and cooperative play, this game offers great value for both single people and larger groups.
- Judge Dredd requires players to lead a group of judges throughout the world while fighting mutants, dinosaurs, and even the earth itself.
- In search of a powerful object, players try to find it and retrieve it before it falls into someone else’s hands.
- It’s important for players to know how to manage their resources if they want to have the best chance of survival during this game.
- The durable components are all brightly colored with original artwork that adds to the excitement of the game.
Jumpin’ Java
- Ideal for younger and older players, this game will appeal to anyone who loves a strong cup of coffee.
- Players must try to outwit the opponent while moving their cups across the board.
- The unique folding game board is very attractive and easy to understand.
- Because the game is stored in an attractive wooden box, it looks great when left out on the coffee table.
- All components are high-quality and built to last without being damaged.
- Great game for 2 players to enjoy together when they want to spend a little time playing a game that doesn’t require a lot of setup and preparation.
Jumbulaya
- This strategy game looks easy, but it requires a lot of focus from players so that they can create words on the board while keeping any eye on any changes that are made.
- Each players has 5 tiles in their tray, but they can also build off of any of the letters that are already placed on the board.
- Players get to add, rearrange, trade, claim, and build longer words with each turn as they try to get a high score.
- By being the first player to find a “jumbulaya,” or a 7, 8, or 9 letter word, players can claim extra points in the game.
- It’s important to learn how to strategize for future moves in order to be able to create the longest words possible.
Jurassic Park: Danger!
- Set on Isla Nublar, this game puts one player in control of 3 dinosaurs on the island who are stalking the humans in the jungle.
- The rest of the players must work together as a team, each one represented by one of the iconic characters from the movie.
- When humans are defeated by dinosaurs they can reanimate as a new character, but the game is over if dinosaurs are able to kill 3 characters.
- If the players who are in charge of the humans are able to get 3 of them off of the island, then they escape and win.
- Being able to reanimate as another character keeps players from getting bored.
Jinx
- The rules of this dice game are very basic and easy to understand.
- Players must put 3 of their markers lined in a row on the board in order to win, but where they place their markers is dictated by the roll of the dice.
- Players who win 3 rounds are declared the winner of the game.
- One black and one white dice are rolled at the same time, and a marker is placed where those numbers meet on the board.
- Players who roll the same dice combination in one round lose all of the markers that they have already placed.
- The player who places 3 markers in a row on the board wins the round.
Jutland
- This is a large tactical board game, in which players don’t play on a board, but rely on paper maps to plot where they are going to move their fleets as well as a lower level where players send their ships.
- The gameplay with the ships can be played on any large and flat surface where all boats can easily be deployed at once.
- There are up to 72 individual ships, which means that players need to plan ahead and come up with a solid strategy for how to handle their fleet.
- Included optional rules make it easy for players to adjust the game to their playing ability so that the game is more enjoyable.