Some games have a way of haunting want lists for years. Gulo Gulo is one of them. Originally published in 2003 by Zoch Verlag, the game was nominated for the Kinderspielexperten and quietly earned a devoted following that outlasted its print run by a decade. Used copies traded hands at premiums. Forum threads asked "is this worth tracking down?" almost annually.
Now, you won't have to track it down. Gulo Gulo is coming back to retail on August 21 in a brand-new Pandasaurus Games edition with all-new art by Jennifer Meyer and a freshened-up ruleset!
What is Gulo Gulo?
Gulo Gulo is a dexterity game for 2–6 players, ages 5 and up, that plays in around 20 minutes. The theme is wonderfully absurd: you're a family of wolverines (the Gulo Gulo of the title is the animal's Latin name) trying to rescue Gulo Junior, who has been captured by swamp vultures and stashed somewhere near their nest. The path to the rescue runs directly through that nest, which is full of colorful eggs—and a very precarious alarm pole.
On your turn, you choose a tile ahead of you on the path. The tile's color tells you which egg you need to steal from the nest. If you pull it off without triggering the alarm, your wolverine advances. Fail by knocking the pole, dislodging another egg, or using two hands, and your Gulo scurries backwards in shame. First player to reach the Gulo Junior tile and steal the final purple egg wins the game!
Kid Gulo: the family-friendly variant
One of our favorite things about Gulo Gulo is that it's completely age-proof in practice—a 6-year-old with small fingers and nerves of steel can absolutely beat a room full of adults. And when your 6-year-old has a good time, let's face it, the whole family does.
But if you want a faster, lower-stakes game, the rules includes a Kid Gulo rules variant designed for younger players. In this mode, reaching the end of the path immediately triggers the nest deck phase—and if you draw the Gulo Junior tile, you win on the spot, no purple egg required. It strips away some of the backward-march tension while keeping the core dexterity challenge intact. Recommended for ages 5–7, or any adult who wants to stop losing to a kindergardener.
What's new in this edition?
The 2026 Pandasaurus Games edition brings two meaningful changes alongside the new art:
- The ruleset has been refined to improve clarity and balance (particularly around the backward movement rules and the nest deck phase)
- The overall component quality has been updated for a modern retail edition.
Gulo Gulo is hitting retail shelves on August 21, 2026*. Grab your copy before the nest is empty!