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Jumpers is played on a diamond-shaped board: a square grid of points turned 45 degrees. The standard game uses a 6x6 grid, while 8x8 and 10x10 variants are also available for a deeper game.

There are two players: Red and Teal. Each player starts with four tokens in their own corner of the board and keeps a reserve of tokens beside it. The size of the reserve depends on the board:

• 6x6: 12 tokens for Red and 13 for Teal.
• 8x8: 20 tokens each.
• 10x10: 30 tokens for Red and 31 for Teal.

The tokens sit on the spots and move only along the lines.

The initial position of the tokens is shown in the following picture:

The goal of the game is to leave the opponent without a legal move. A player who can neither capture nor hop and spawn at the start of their turn loses.

No draws are possible in Jumpers.

The game begins with four tokens of each player in their corner, as shown above.

Players move alternately, starting with Red.

On each turn a player performs one of the following actions:

• Capture one or more of the opponent's tokens.
• Hop with one of their tokens and spawn a new token.

Capturing

A token captures by jumping along a line over an adjacent opponent's token onto the empty spot beyond. The jumped token is removed from the board.

Capturing is mandatory: if any capture is available, the player must capture. After a capture, the same token must keep capturing while it can. While capturing, the token may land on a spot it has already visited during the turn, including its starting spot.

Below is an example of two captures in one turn:

Before: the Red token on C2 jumps over the Teal token on D2 onto E2, then over the Teal token on E3 onto E4.		After: the Teal tokens on D2 and E3 are removed. No further capture is possible from E4, so Red's turn ends.

Hopping and spawning

If no capture is available, the player hops: one of their tokens jumps along a line over an adjacent token of their own onto the empty spot beyond. The token may keep hopping, but it cannot land on a spot it has already visited during the turn. If the hopping token can capture after a hop, it must capture, and the turn continues as a capturing turn, without a spawn.

When the token stops hopping, the player spawns: a token from the reserve is placed on an empty spot next to the hopping token along a line.

Below is an example of a hop and spawn:

Before: Red has no capture. The Red token on A1 hops over B1 onto C1, then over C2 onto C3.		After: Red spawns a new token from the reserve on D3, next to C3.

Below is an example of a hop that turns into a capture:

Before: Red has no capture. The Red token on B2 hops over C2 onto D2, where it can capture, so it must jump over the Teal token on D3 onto D4.		After: the Teal token on D3 is removed. No further capture is possible from D4, so Red's turn ends without a spawn.

A player whose reserve is empty may still hop, but only when the hops lead to a capture.

Passing is not allowed.

• Jumpers on BoardGameGeek.
• Jumpers on the designer's site, with the rules and a bot to play against.