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How to play Camel Up (2026): Camel Up is a betting game for 3 to 8 players about a ridiculous camel race around a pyramid. You never own a camel. Instead, you bet on which camels will lead each leg and which will win or lose the whole race, while dice tumble out of a cardboard pyramid one at a time. Camels that land on each other stack up and ride along, so the leader can change in a single roll. This guide covers the Second Edition rules: setup, the four actions, stacking, the crazy camels and scoring.
What you need: Camel Up (Second Edition)
Everything comes in the box: board, pyramid shaker, seven camels, dice, betting tickets and coins. Ages 8 and up, about 30 to 45 minutes, for about $43.
Price band: $30+ (about $43) · Check today’s price on Amazon
Camel Up at a glance
| Detail | Camel Up (Second Edition) |
|---|---|
| Players | 3 to 8 |
| Ages | 8+ |
| Length | 30 to 45 minutes |
| Goal | Have the most Egyptian Pounds when a camel crosses the finish line |
| Racing camels | 5 (blue, green, yellow, red, purple) moving clockwise |
| Crazy camels | 2 (black and white) moving counterclockwise; nobody bets on them |
| Dice | 5 racing dice (1 to 3) and 1 grey die for the crazy camels |
Setting up the race
- Place the board in the middle. Sort the betting tickets by color and stack each color with the 5 on top, then the 3, then the two 2s, on its tent.
- Stack the 5 pyramid tickets on their space and put the coins in a bank.
- Give every player 3 Egyptian Pounds, a set of 5 finish cards and a spectator tile in their character’s color.
- Roll the five racing dice once and place each camel on space 1, 2 or 3 to match its die. Camels on the same space stack in any order.
- Roll the grey die twice to place the two crazy camels on space 14, 15 or 16, facing the other way.
- Load all six dice into the pyramid. The youngest player takes the starting player marker.
The four actions
On your turn you take exactly one action. Play goes clockwise until a leg ends.
1. Take a betting ticket
Take the top ticket of any color. You are backing that camel to lead at the end of this leg. Early tickets pay more: the first ticket of each color is worth 5, then 3, then 2 and 2. You may hold several tickets, even of the same color.
2. Place your spectator tile
Put your tile on an empty space of the track (not space 1, and not next to another spectator tile), cheering side or booing side up. Any camel unit that ends its move there pays you 1 coin and moves one space forward (cheering) or one space back (booing). You can use this action later to move your tile.
3. Take a pyramid ticket and roll
Take a pyramid ticket, shake the pyramid and release one die. The camel of that color moves 1, 2 or 3 spaces, carrying any camels stacked on top of it. Put the die on a dice tent so everyone can see it has rolled. Each pyramid ticket is worth 1 coin at the end of the leg.
4. Bet on the overall winner or loser
Place one of your finish cards face down on the winner pile or the loser pile. This is a secret prediction for the whole race. Earlier correct bets pay the most, and once a card is placed it stays there.
How stacking and the crazy camels work
- When a camel unit lands on a space with other camels, it goes on top. The top camel in a stack always counts as ahead.
- A moving camel carries every camel above it. Camels below it stay where they are.
- If the grey die comes out, move the crazy camel that matches the number’s color (white or black) backwards. If only one crazy camel is carrying racing camels, move that one instead, and if one crazy camel sits directly on the other, move the top one.
- Crazy camels never count when deciding who is leading or losing.
Ending a leg and scoring it
When the last pyramid ticket is taken, that player rolls as usual, and then the leg is scored. At that point five of the six dice are out, so one die always stays in the pyramid.
- Each betting ticket on the camel in first place pays the number printed on it (5, 3 or 2).
- Each ticket on the camel in second place pays 1.
- Each ticket on any other camel costs 1.
- Each pyramid ticket pays 1.
Then return every ticket and spectator tile, put the dice back in the pyramid and pass the starting player marker to the left of whoever took the last pyramid ticket. A new leg begins. No player can drop below zero coins.
How the race ends
The race ends the moment any camel crosses the finish line. Score the final leg first. Then flip the winner pile so the first card played is on top. The first correct card earns 8, the next 5, then 3, then 2, and every later correct card earns 1. Every wrong card costs 1. Score the loser pile the same way for the camel in last place. The player with the most money wins, and ties share the victory.
Games with six to eight players
With six or more players, each player also gets a partnership card. As a fifth action you can swap cards with another available player to become betting partners for the leg. At leg scoring, each partner may copy the reward of one of the other’s tickets.
Tips for your first race
- Take a 5 ticket early when one camel is clearly ahead, but remember stacks can flip the lead in one roll.
- Pyramid tickets are a safe 1 coin, and rolling at the right time can stop rivals from taking good bets.
- Use your spectator tile on a space just ahead of a big stack to make the move you need.
- Do not wait too long for winner and loser bets. The early cards pay 8 and 5, the late ones barely pay.
Want a betting game for a smaller group? Read our Camel Up vs Ready Set Bet guide or browse the best family board games.
Camel Up rules FAQ
How many dice stay in the pyramid?
Each leg ends when five of the six dice have been revealed, so one die always stays in the pyramid.
Can you bet on the crazy camels?
No. The black and white camels only cause chaos. They are ignored for every ranking.
What happens if you cannot pay a lost bet?
Nothing. No player can drop below zero Egyptian Pounds, so you simply pay what you can.
