The Noble Collection's Jumanji Board Game Is A Satisfying, (Mostly) Affordable & Playable Prop Replica

Author Chris Van Allsburg brought "Jumanji" into the pop culture zeitgeist back in 1981. The children's book imagined an enchanted board game that transported the dangers of the jungle into the suburban world. A hungry lion, a stampede of rhinos, and a monsoon are just some of the threats that emerge from the game, putting kids smack dab in the middle of a frightening adventure. 

"Jumanji" is a favorite among several generations of children, and part of that comes from the blockbuster movie adaptation starring Robin Williams (with his improv skills in check), Bonnie Hunt, and a young Kirsten Dunst back in 1995. The film became quite a sensation on the big screen, making over $262 million at the worldwide box office, and it made the titular game truly larger than life. If you've ever watched "Jumanji" and wished you could have your own version of the board game that has seemingly been circulating for decades, we have good news.

The Noble Collection — an officially licensed creator of movie merchandise, movie prop replicas, and assorted pop culture collectibles — has a full scale prop replica of the "Jumanji" board game, modeled after how it appears in the original movie. Yes, this is an officially licensed version of the board game, and it's far cheaper than any custom versions you might find elsewhere on Etsy or other online marketplaces, and it's way better than the cheap board game currently on shelves. How do I know? The Noble Collection sent over their "Jumanji" board game prop replica for me to check out. Let's take a closer look!

When you take the "Jumanji" game out of the box (shown above with an apple for scale), in which it's protected by a plastic bag and styrofoam endpieces, you'll see that this has a little bit of heft to it. Though not as weighty as a real carved, wooden board game might be, it's clear this isn't a super cheap piece, either. 

On the outside of the game is the logo, made to look like it's carved into the wooden doors of the game. However, the logo and the four emblems are a plastic mold. This is one of the more disappointing aspects of the prop replica, but when you consider the price tag, you'll understand why this isn't a board game replica that's actually carved out of wood. That would bring the cost up considerably. Thankfully, the plastic molding does a solid job of replicating what the carvings look like, even if they feel lifeless with the tap of your finger. 

Ethan Anderton

The game itself opens up with two hinged pieces, just as it does in the movie. If you're looking at the hinges of the game on the outside and thinking it's a bit ugly, I thought the same thing. However, this isn't actually a production flaw. If you take a close look at the game in the movie, it also has similar hinge pieces on the outside of the box. So this is actually an accurate recreation of what's in the movie, even if it seems like a misstep. Unfortunately, those hinges make it difficult to display on a shelf standing upright, especially since it forces the bottom flap of the game open. But honestly, this is the kind of thing that will look better sitting in the middle of your coffee table anyway. 

Inside, the game is an impeccable recreation of the movie's prop. Each of the side panels contains the cautionary words and directions for the game. One of them appears upside down depending on how you're looking at the game board, which is exactly how the game appeared in the movie. Of course, those instructions are merely a starting point, because even though the centerpiece of the game has a green, transparent cover piece to make it look like the interactive portal in the movie version of the game, it sadly doesn't operate in the same fashion. Again, that feature would make this significantly more expensive. 

But the game itself does come with instructions and other gamepieces that allow you to actually play the game. We'll get to that a bit later.

Ethan Anderton

Inside the two flaps are two containers that hold the four player gamepieces, a set of dice, cards, and other gameplay elements. Reader, believe me when I tell you that I felt like Zoolander and Hansel trying to get files out of a computer when figuring out how to open these compartments. For some reason, I had it in my head that these compartments had doors that slid open, and I couldn't figure out how to get inside. You're probably smarter than me, so just open the lid upwards to get the pieces inside, which are kept latched tight by little magnets housed in the doors. (This is a feature I wish was included in the larger game flaps as well, if only to make the game easier to display on its side.)

The game board itself has the same shortcoming as the log on the outer doors. It's a plastic piece rather than a ceramic mold or tile, which would have been a nice sturdy feature. Yet again, that would make it pricier and more fragile, but these are the kinds of things collectors like to know. At the very least, the board is an accurate recreation of the prop itself, without any added flourishes that might make it look like a mass marketed board game for kids. But that doesn't mean you can't play it with your whole family. 

Included in the game are a variety of pieces. Of course, there are the four gamepieces for each player: Jade Monkey, Keratin Rhinoceros, Metallic Elephant, and Obsidian Crocodile. This is where I really wish the game would have spent a bit more money, because these pieces should have a little more weight to them. Yes, they all have a design that makes them look like older gamepieces, but part of me wishes they were made out of a different material that made them feel more substantial. Even so, the attention to detail in their creation is stellar, with a little bit of manufactured wear and tear on some of the pieces.

As for the dice, they're more standard board game fare. It would have been nice to make them look a little more weathered, as if they've been played before, but that's something you can probably find elsewhere on the web, if you're so inclined. After all, these are made to play the game, which includes some glossy cardboard elements as well. 

Ethan Anderton

There are the circular cards that are meant to act as the consequences that the board game's center portal would otherwise provide. There are also cards that correspond to the roll of the dice as hunter, spear, and jungle tiles for another element of gameplay. I won't get into the actual rules of the game itself, but suffice it to say that you can actually play the game of "Jumanji" with everything included. 

(Just a heads up: The cards are so glossy that they're stuck together when you first get them out of the velvety green bag holding them. So you'll have to sort through them individually to unstick them, and after they've been separated from each other, they won't stick together anymore.)

The Noble Collection's "Jumanji" board game prop replica is priced at $145, and based on my examination of the item, I'd say that's rather reasonable. Not only is the prop replica detailed enough to look cool as a display piece, but it's also a functional board game for family fun. Sure, the game itself is clearly not made from actual wood. In fact, the speckles on the surface would indicate that it's some kind of particle board, almost like IKEA furniture. But attention has been paid to the little details that make this look like the game from the movie. It's the kind of thing that will make your friends go, "Whoa, this is awesome."

At the same time, there's one particular detail I wish The Noble Collection would have leaned into, and that's making the game look like it's been around for decades. While the logo on the outside of the game is made to look somewhat aged, the rest of the game feels a little too new out of the box. In particular, the actual board for the game inside looks far too clean. It would have been a nice touch to add some weathering effects and details that more closely resemble the look of the game in the movie. After all, it's not a new game, and it's made to look as if it's been buried and discovered many times before. (Speaking of which, I'm kind of amazed we haven't gotten a "Jumanji" prequel that takes place back in the 1920s, or maybe even during medieval times. Wouldn't that be cool? You can have that one for free, Sony Pictures.)

Overall, though the craftsmanship of this "Jumanji" prop replica isn't quite as impressive as some of the custom games you can find on Etsy for anywhere between $600 to over $1,000, what you get is certainly worth the significantly lower price. Plus, when it comes down to it, some of the item's shortcomings can be rectified with some YouTube tutorials and a little DIY creativity. There's even a mod that someone created that will make the center portal "magically" work just as it does in the movie. So if anything, this could be a great jumping-off point for you to create an even more impressive version of the "Jumanji" board game. 

You can order the "Jumanji" prop replica right now for $145 at The Noble Collection website.