The best games of the Ubongo series⎇ 2025

Ubongo is a fast-paced, puzzle-solving board game where players race against time and each other to complete individual puzzles and collect precious gems.

Players compete simultaneously to fill their game board as quickly as possible with 3D blocks. No space can remain uncovered, and nothing may extend beyond the edges. After 90 seconds, players measure their towers against a giraffe to see how many gems they've earned, aiming to collect the most gems.

The latest addition to the Ubongo series features players placing wooden tiles over two layers of double-sided puzzle cards, one side for beginners and the other for advanced players. Participants collect gemstones based on their performance, and the player with the most valuable collection at the end wins the game.

Players compete to solve puzzles as quickly as possible in a refreshing twist on the classic game. Each player has a set of eight differently colored polyomino pieces and must choose between two sides of the puzzle cards. As they race to fill the empty spaces, the first to complete their puzzle earns points, with various challenges based on the chosen side of the cards.

This expansion includes components for a fifth and sixth player, along with 216 new puzzles (18 new cards with 2 sides and 6 options per side). It is part of the Ubongo series.

"Ubongo: 3-D Family" features puzzles of four difficulty levels, providing the perfect challenge for every age group. Players compete to arrange their puzzle pieces side by side, on top of each other, and interlock them. Completing the puzzle before time runs out rewards the player with valuable gemstones.

Players compete to solve the same puzzle faster than their opponent using identical game pieces. Each player has 21 puzzle pieces and a stack of puzzle sheets, with a 20-sided die determining which pieces to use in each round. The first player to win five Ubongo duels wins the game.

Players must once again find out how to connect the Ubongo pieces designed by Grzegorz Rejchtman. In each round, a player randomly draws nine cards, each displaying six Ubongo stones arranged in a 2x3 grid. The goal is to connect seven of their nine cards based on matching symbols touching between adjacent cards. The first player to do so calls out "Ubongo" and earns points accordingly, while all other players score based on their connections. After six rounds, the player with the highest score wins.

"Ubongo Junior" simplifies the tile-laying and pattern-matching gameplay for a younger audience. Each player starts with nine uniquely shaped and colored tiles featuring animals, along with a stack of seven puzzle boards. Players race to place the correct tiles on their boards, and the first to finish earns the most gems after seven rounds, winning the game.

This is a follow-up to the successful Ubongo, now with a higher difficulty level. Players simultaneously place their uniquely shaped hexagonal pieces on their player mats as quickly as possible to fill the desired shape, which proves to be quite challenging. It is as captivating as the original, which turned out to be addictive.

Players face the challenge of fitting unique triangular shapes to create two distinct images on a puzzle board during each round. Only silhouettes of the images are visible, requiring players to figure out the correct arrangement and orientation of their pieces. The player who completes the task first starts a countdown, with others potentially losing points if they don't finish in time. The player with the most points after eight rounds emerges as the winner.

Ubongo Extreme: Portable Edition is a compact version of the original game. Players race to solve spatial puzzles by filling spaces with Tetris-like pieces made of connected hexagons. Featuring two difficulty levels, even beginners can compete with experienced players, with puzzles requiring either three or four pieces to solve.

This is the younger sibling of the very successful Ubongo. It features new challenges while keeping the same quick and easy gameplay. Players compete simultaneously to find the right spot for their pieces and place the designated figure in the shortest time. The game offers two difficulty levels, catering to both beginners and experts.

Players strive to place polyominoes to fill shapes based on the results of dice rolls, creating a sense of urgency as they compete for the pieces they need. Each player has a score sheet with a shape to complete; after rolling all eight dice, they grab one black and one white die to use the shapes displayed on them. The first player to fill their area shouts and scores points, continuing until all players finish their shapes. The player with the most points after six rounds wins.

Ubongo: Star Wars: The Force Awakens combines the popular Ubongo game with themes from the movie. Jedi players race against time to skillfully cover the board with specified pieces, regardless of whether the light or dark side is involved. After seven rounds, the player who has explored the galaxy the most wins.

Ubongo Junior Mitbringspiel is a travel-sized version where players compete simultaneously to place all the animals on their boards as quickly as possible. The first to shout "Ubongo!" keeps the card as a reward, and the player with the most cards at the end wins. There are two difficulty levels to balance the challenge between experienced and inexperienced players.