The Grape Escape Board Game: Rules and Instructions for How to Play

The Grape Escape is a board game originally released in 1992. In 2021 a new version of the game was released by Hasbro. While the main premise is the same between the two games, the gameplay has changed a decent amount. Because of this, I will be detailing the rules for each game separately. I will start with the rules for the newer version (2021) of the game, and later will detail the rules for the 1992 version of The Grape Escape.

Objective of The Grape Escape

The objective of Grape Escape is to be the first player to get your grape to escape the jam factory.

Setup for The Grape Escape

Assemble the four jam factory contraption parts. Snap each into a green base.
Insert each jam factory contraption into the corresponding section of the gameboard. The feet should be lined up with the holes in the board, and slid until it locks into place.
Each player will choose a color. They will use the mold to make a grape of their chosen color.

Creating A Grape in Grape Escape — The purple player has added dough to the mold and pressed the two sides together. They have created their grape. After removing their grape from the mold, they can start using it in the game.

Everyone places their grape on the start space.

The youngest player gets to start the game. Play will move clockwise (left).

Playing The Grape Escape

On your turn you will roll the die. You will move your playing piece the corresponding number of spaces clockwise along the path.

Die Roll — The red player has rolled a four. They will move their grape forward four spaces.

Movement in Grape Escape — The red player has rolled a four. They will move their grape forward four spaces.

You will then take an action based on the space that you landed on.

The Spaces of The Grape Escape

Go Again

If you land on a Go Again space, you will get to immediately take another turn. You will roll the die and move the corresponding number of spaces. You will then take an action based on what space you landed on.

Jam Zone

If you land on a jam zone space, place your grape playing piece under the corresponding trap. You will then use the contraption on your grape to destroy it.

You will then reshape your grape with the mold. Move your new grape back to the closest Restart space behind the trap that destroyed your grape.

Jam Zone Reset in Grape Escape — The green grape was destroyed. After being reformed, the grape is moved back to the closest Restart Space.

Restart

You will take no special action when you land on this space. These spaces are used to mark where you restart should your grape be destroyed.

Switch Places

Should you land on a Switch Places space, you have the option to take the action. If you want to, you can switch places with another player. If you don’t want to switch places, you don’t have to.

Go Back

Follow the arrow on the space. It will indicate which space you will move back to.

Wild Grapes

When you land on one of the Wild Grapes spaces, you can choose another player (this action is optional). You will move their grape forward to the nearest jam zone. You will then use the jam factory contraption to destroy their grape. After reforming their grape, they will move it back to the closest Restart space.

Winning The Grape Escape

The first player to reach the end space wins the game. They will add their grape to the launcher and launch it out of the jam factory.

Winning Grape Escape 2021 — The purple grape has reached the End space. As they were the first to reach the space, they have won the game.

Winning Grape Escape — The purple grape has reached the End space. As they were the first to reach the space, they have won the game.

You will keep playing until all of the grapes escape the factory.

Objective of The Grape Escape 1992

The objective of The Grape Escape is to be the first player to make it through the Jam Maker factory and escape.

Setup for The Grape Escape 1992

Assemble the Jam Maker (see the detailed instructions below).

Pick a color of dough. Put some of the corresponding colored dough into the mold. Press the two sides of the mold together in order to make a grape playing piece.
Each player places their grape playing piece on the Start space.

Starting Space — The four grapes have been formed and placed on the Start space.

The youngest player starts the game. Play will proceed clockwise/left throughout the game.

Assembling the Jam Maker

Clipper/Scissors

Place a rubber band through the hole on the side of one of the blades. Make a loop in the rubber band so it stays firmly in place. Take the other end of the rubber band and wrap it around the handle and attach it to the knob.

Place the assembled scissors into the corresponding section of the jam maker. Slide the tab on the side of one of the blades into the jam maker.

Cutter/Saw

Slide the yellow blade into the pink base. Attach a rubber band as shown in the pictures below.

Attach the pink saw base to the jam maker.

Jammer/Roller

Insert the orange roller between the two yellow uprights. Insert the yellow tabs into the green base.

Assemble the two arms. Attach the end of the arms to the pegs on the jam maker. Attach the hands to the knobs near the orange roller.

Juicer

Attach the rubber band to the tree as shown below. Place the pink wrench onto the knob on the blue tree. Insert the peg on the boot through the pink wrench and into the back of the tree.

Insert the tree into the jam maker base.

Crank

Place the crank on top of the green post and attach it to the purple gear.

Playing The Grape Escape 1992

You will begin each of your turns rolling the die.

Movement

If you roll a number, you will move your playing piece the corresponding number of spaces around the gameboard. You will always move your piece clockwise around the gameboard. Each printed space on the gameboard as well as each jam station counts as a space.

Number Die Symbol in Grape Escape — The red player has rolled a three on the die.

Sometimes you will land on a space, that is not a jam station, that is occupied by another player’s grape. In this case you move your grape to the space. You will then move the other grape that was previously on that space forward onto the next empty jam station. If you are past the last jam station, the grape is moved to the first jam station.

Two Grapes Same Space in Grape Escape — The yellow grape was previously on this space. The green player just landed on the space. The green grape will stay on the space, and the yellow grape will be moved to the next jam space.

Should you land on an empty jam station, you will keep your playing piece on the space until either your next turn or it gets destroyed. If you land on an occupied jam station, you will move your grape ahead (clockwise) to the next empty jam station. If you landed on the last jam station, you will move back to the first jam station.

Two Grapes Same Jam Space in Grape Escape — The purple grape moved onto the jam space that was previously occupied by the green grape. The purple grape will be moved to the next jam station.

Grape Leap

If you roll the Grape Leap symbol, you will move your playing piece one space ahead of whichever player is currently in first. Should you currently be the leader, you will move forward one space.

Crank Symbol

When you roll the Crank symbol, you will not move your playing piece at all. If none of the players are currently on one of the jam stations, choose one of the player’s grapes to place on any of the jam stations. You will then turn the crank until all of the grapes that are on a jam station are crushed, cut, etc.

Crank Example in Grape Escape — The current player rolled the crank symbol. When the crank is turned, the green grape will be destroyed by the scissors.

Destroyed Grape — The current player rolled the crank symbol. When the crank is turned, the green grape will be destroyed by the scissors.

All grapes that were destroyed are reformed into new grapes. Each of these playing pieces are moved back to the Start space.

Reset Grape in Grape Escape — After being destroyed by the scissors, the green grape was reformed. It was returned to the Start space.

Winning The Grape Escape 1992

The first player to reach the Finish space wins the game. You do not have to reach the Finish space by exact count.

Winning Grape Escape 1992 — The green grape has reached the Finish space. The green player has won the game.

Year: 1992, 2021 | Publisher: Parker Brothers, Hasbro | Designer: NA | Artist: NA

Genres: Children’s, Roll and Move

Ages: 5+ | Number of Players: 2-4 | Length of Game: 15-20 minutes

Difficulty: Light | Strategy: Light | Luck: High

Components: 1992 – gameboard, Jam Maker contraption with four different traps, grape mold, four containers of dough, die (1, 2, 3, 4, crank, grape leap), 2 pegs (attach Jam Maker to gameboard, instructions; 2021 – gameboard, 4 jam factory contraption parts, launcher, standard die (1-6), grape mold, 4 containers of dough, instructions

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