Donkey Valley Card Game

About this product

Load the donkey. Make the call. Hope you judged it right.

A lively bluffing card game where every hidden load could tip the balance.

Secretly load the donkey, judge whether it can carry the weight and bluff your way through eight unpredictable rounds.

Product Description

The climb through Donkey Valley is steep, and the donkeys have plenty to carry.

Each round introduces a different donkey with its own capacity and possible special effect. Every player secretly chooses a Load Card, adding unseen weight to the donkey. Before the cards are revealed, you must make the call: approve the contract because you think the donkey can handle it, or deny it because you think it has been overloaded.

Then all the loads are revealed.

Make the right decision and you can add valuable Load Cards to your score pile. Make the wrong call and you may walk away empty-handed. With everyone free to discuss what they played, and bluff as much as they like, deciding who to trust becomes part of the challenge.  

The donkeys keep things unpredictable too. Eight Donkey Cards are randomly chosen for each game from a larger set, bringing different capacities and rule twists from round to round. Limited employee favours give you another way to influence a crucial decision, but each player may use only two during the entire game. 

After eight rounds, add up the value of the Load Cards you have won. The player with the highest score wins.

View the Donkey Valley Rulebook (PDF)

Why You’ll Love It

• Hidden loads create instant tension: Everyone contributes a face-down Load Card before the total weight is revealed.
• Approve or deny: Decide whether you believe the donkey can carry the load before you know the final total.
• Bluffing is part of the game: Talk about your cards, mislead your rivals or try to work out who is telling the truth.
• Different donkeys change the challenge: Each donkey can alter its carrying capacity or introduce a new rule for the round.
• Limited employee favours: Use special favours carefully — each player gets only two opportunities during the game.
• Fresh mix each game: Eight Donkey Cards are randomly selected from the 20 available Donkey Cards.
• Built for a bigger table: Supports 3–7 players for a lively game-night experience.

Quick Details

• Publisher: Jolly Dutch
• Designer: Stefaan Henderickx
• Illustrator: Gustavo Furstenau
• Players: 3–7
• Age: 10+
• Play time: 45 minutes
• Game type: Competitive bluffing card game
• Rounds: 8
• Rules: Dutch and English
• Components shown in the rulebook: 20 Donkey Cards, 70 Load Cards, 7 Overview Cards, 7 Contract Cards and 1 First Player Card.

Good to Know

• A standard donkey has a capacity equal to five times the number of players, although different Donkey Cards can change this. 
• Each game uses 8 randomly selected Donkey Cards from the 20 available. 
• Each player may use a maximum of two employee favours during the game. 
• Players may openly discuss what they have played, but bluffing is allowed and encouraged.
• If the final score is tied, the player with the most Load Cards wins. If there is still a tie, the tied players share the victory.
• Jolly Dutch states that its games use biodegradable plastic, biodegradable ink and glue, FSC-certified materials, European production and CO₂ compensation for transport.