Monkeys on the Moon (2002)

About this game

In Monkeys on the Moon, players advance monkey civilizations while also freeing monkeys from lunar isolation by launching spaceships. Players must carefully balance which tribes they advance, however, as there are monkey politics at play! Influencing one tribe will likely harm another tribe's opinion of you. The player who launches the most powerful primates home to Earth by game end will claim victory. Every move that a player makes will impress one of the six monkey tribes yet anger another. Knowing when to play favorites, and when to risk incurring the scorn of a tribe, is key to success. The game's monkey cards also feature six original drawings by cartoonist Scott Starkey.

Does it fit your group?

• Group size. Works with 2 to 4.
• Rules load. At 2.1/5 this is a mid-weight game — expect a proper rules explanation before you start.
• Age. The publisher suggests 10 and up. That rates the rules rather than the artwork, so judge the box yourself for younger players.