How To Play Candy Land: Setup, Rules, & Gameplay Guide - WikiHow

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Terms of Use wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Learn why people trust wikiHow How to Play Candy Land: Easy Gameplay Guide & Rules PDF download Download Article Co-authored by Glenn Carreau Reviewed by Ashton Wu

Last Updated: March 10, 2025 Fact Checked

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  • Setting Up the Game
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  • Candy Land Rules & Gameplay
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This article was reviewed by Ashton Wu and by wikiHow staff writer, Glenn Carreau. Ashton Wu is a Board Game expert at Shelfside. After delving into the Yugioh tournament community while growing up, Ashton launched himself into the board gaming community in 2014 and went into reviewing board games as a career full-time in 2019. His YouTube channel Shelfside has over 50K subscribers and over 4 million views, assisted by written reviews on the Shelfside website and BoardGameGeek.com. He also consults with gaming companies to build high-quality gaming products. Ashton is a tournament commentator, board game playthrough director, and host of the Shelfside Podcast, where he talks about board games with his business partner, Daniel. He received a Bachelor of Arts in Economics at the University of California, Santa Barbara, in addition to the Technology Management Certificate. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 726,855 times.

Candy Land is a fantastic game to share with little kids, especially those who haven’t learned to read. It’s a game of bright colors and pictures for 2 to 4 players, simple to learn and play. Whether you want to know the rules of Candy Land, teach a youngster how to play, or look up a few fun, optional rules to incorporate into the game, you’ve come to the right place! Read on for a full guide to playing Candy Land, from setup to completion.

Things You Should Know

  • Set up the game by laying the board on a flat surface, shuffling the cards, and picking a gingerbread pawn. Have the youngest player start the game.
  • Draw a card on your turn and move your pawn according to the color on the card. Lose a turn if you land on a licorice space, or jump forward on a shortcut.
  • Win the game by reaching the candy castle first. Add optional rules to simplify the game for young kids and add a challenge for older players.

Steps

Part 1 Part 1 of 2:

Setting Up the Game

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  1. Step 1 Play with 2 to 4 players in each game of Candy Land. 1 Play with 2 to 4 players in each game of Candy Land. This game is designed to accommodate a small group of players, with 2 being the minimum and 4 being the maximum. It’s also recommended for kids ages 3 to 6, although older kids and adults can join in on the fun. Be sure to explain the rules to young first-time players before the game begins.[1]
  2. Step 2 Unfold the Candy Land board and lay it on a flat surface. 2 Unfold the Candy Land board and lay it on a flat surface. Find a flat surface (like a dining table or coffee table) and lay out the game board, placing it within reach of every player. If you’d rather not play at the table, you could also set up the Candy Land game on a carpeted floor where it’s easy to spread out.[2]
    • The Candy Land board consists of brightly-colored squares in alternating shades of yellow, red, orange, blue, purple, and green. It also has special pink picture squares and shortcut spaces.
    • There are also different illustrated locations around the board, like the Peppermint Stick Forest, Gumdrop Mountain, and the Peanut Brittle House.
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  3. Step 3 Select a colored gingerbread pawn and place it at the starting area. 3 Select a colored gingerbread pawn and place it at the starting area. Pick the gingerbread pawn you want to use for the game, and have each player do the same. Candy Land comes with 4 pawns, each a different color and shaped like a gingerbread man. Once you all select pawns, place them in the labeled starting area at the bottom of the game board.[3]
    • The gingerbread pawns come in blue, green, red, and yellow.
  4. Step 4 Shuffle the cards and place them face-down within reach of players. 4 Shuffle the cards and place them face-down within reach of players. Start by shuffling the deck of cards, then stack them neatly and ensure that every card is facing down so players can’t see what they’re picking when they draw from the top of the deck. Place the deck somewhere that each player can easily reach when it’s their turn to draw a card.[4]
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Part 2 Part 2 of 2:

Candy Land Rules & Gameplay

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  1. Step 1 Have the youngest player go first, then play clockwise around the group. 1 Have the youngest player go first, then play clockwise around the group. Go around in a circle and let each player announce their birthday to determine who is the youngest player. That player gets to go first, and then play passes to the left, continuing around until everyone gets a turn. Keep the turns moving clockwise throughout the game until there’s a winner.[5]
  2. Step 2 Draw a card on your turn and move to the closest corresponding color. 2 Draw a card on your turn and move to the closest corresponding color. At the start of your turn, draw a card from the top of the face-down pile. Each card will either have 1 colored square, 2 colored squares, or a picture, which will tell you what to do on your turn. Place your card in a separate discard pile after finishing your turn.[6]
    • If your card has 1 colored square, move your pawn forward to the first color space on the board that matches the color of the square on your card.
    • If you draw a card with 2 colored squares, move your pawn to the second matching color space on the board that matches the color on your card.
    • Multiple player pawns can be on the same color space simultaneously.
    • For example, if you draw a card with 2 purple squares, look at the path ahead of your pawn on the board. Find the first purple square in front of you, then the second one, and move your pawn to that square.
  3. Step 3 Move to the corresponding space on the board if you draw a picture card. 3 Move to the corresponding space on the board if you draw a picture card. Most cards have solid colors, but a few have pink squares with pictures. When you draw one of these pink picture cards, move your pawn forward or backward (depending on where you are) to the matching picture space on the board.[7]
    • For example, if you draw a card with a pink square with a candy cane on it, move your pawn to the candy cane square in the Peppermint Stick Forest section of the board.
    • Candy Land’s movement is simple: always keep moving forward (in the direction of the signposts illustrated on the board) unless a picture card directs you to move backward.
  4. Step 4 Take a shortcut if you land on a space with an arrow that leads up a path. 4 Take a shortcut if you land on a space with an arrow that leads up a path. The Candy Land board features 2 shortcuts that let you skip sections of the board to get to the end of the path faster (and hopefully pull ahead of your opponents). If your pawn lands on a shortcut space, follow the shortcut up to the space it connects to.[8]
    • The board’s shortcuts are Rainbow Trail and Gumdrop Pass. If you land on a shortcut space for either path, you’ll see an arrow on the space showing you which direction to go.
    • Remember that you need to land directly on a shortcut space to use it. Unfortunately, you can’t use a shortcut if you’re just passing by it.
  5. Step 5 Skip your next turn if you land on a licorice “X” space. 5 Skip your next turn if you land on a licorice “X” space. The Candy Land board has a couple of differently-colored spaces with licorice on them, where the licorice is crossed and shaped like an X. If you take your current turn and draw a card that lands you on a licorice space, it means your character has gotten stuck and can’t move—and therefore, you’ll have to skip your next turn.[9]
    • You only have to skip 1 turn if you land on a licorice space; draw a card as usual on the turn after that.
    • Keep in mind that you won’t lose a turn if you’re just passing by a licorice space. You must land on the exact space to lose a turn.
  6. Step 6 Reshuffle the discard pile into a new draw deck if you run out of cards. 6 Reshuffle the discard pile into a new draw deck if you run out of cards. In some games, you might end up drawing every card in the deck without reaching the end of the game yet. If that happens, just grab the entire discard pile and reshuffle it, then place it face-dawn as the new draw pile.
  7. Step 7 Win the game by reaching the rainbow space closest to the candy castle. 7 Win the game by reaching the rainbow space closest to the candy castle. The main objective of Candy Land is simple: make it to the candy castle before anyone else. The first player who reaches the multi-colored rainbow space at the end of the board has made it to the candy castle and therefore wins the game. After the winner lands on the rainbow square, gameplay stops.[10]
    • Once a winner is declared, you can always reset the board and play again!
    • Playing a game of Candy Land helps teach preschool-age kids valuable skills, including color recognition, counting, following rules, taking turns, and being a gracious winner or loser.
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Community Q&A

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  • Question What are the brown dots? Community Answer Community Answer Brown dots are sticky. If you land there, you must remain there for an extra turn. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 54 Helpful 95
  • Question If two players land on the same spot do they get sent back to start? Community Answer Community Answer No, in the rules it says that two people can be on the same spot. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 77 Helpful 119
  • Question How many game cards should there be? Community Answer Community Answer 66 cards. There are 6 cards representing special locations, and 60 cards split into six different colors. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 47 Helpful 96
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Tips

  • If you’re playing with little kids, try adding an optional house rule that allows any player to discard a card that would send them backward on the board. For example, if you draw the ice cream card, but your pawn is already past the ice cream area of the board, put the card in the discard pile and draw a new one. This makes the game easier for kids![11] Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 3
  • If you’re playing with older players who want a challenge, add a house rule that everyone must draw 2 cards on each turn instead of 1. Then, players can choose which card they want to use on their turn and discard the other. This rule makes Candy Land a more strategic and engaging game and teaches kids to make decisions as they play.[12] Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 1

Tips from our Readers

The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.
  • To make the game more exciting, add things that happen when you land on a specific color. For example, you might have a rule that when you land on orange that means you have to skip your next turn.
  • Placing little bets on the outcome of the game with candy, such as jelly beans or gummy bears, can add another layer of interest.
Submit a Tip All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published Name Please provide your name and last initial Submit Thanks for submitting a tip for review! Advertisement

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References

  1. ↑ https://instructions.hasbro.com/en-us/instruction/Candy-Land-Game
  2. ↑ https://winning-moves.com/images/Candyland_Rules_2022.pdf
  3. ↑ https://winning-moves.com/images/Candyland_Rules_2022.pdf
  4. ↑ https://winning-moves.com/images/Candyland_Rules_2022.pdf
  5. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2y1ih1iu-Jg
  6. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2y1ih1iu-Jg
  7. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2y1ih1iu-Jg
  8. ↑ http://www.hasbro.com/common/instruct/Candy_Land__(2004).pdf
  9. ↑ http://www.hasbro.com/common/instruct/Candy_Land__(2004).pdf
More References (3)
  1. ↑ https://www.museumofplay.org/toys/candy-land/
  2. ↑ https://www.hasbro.com/common/instruct/Candy_Land__(2004).pdf
  3. ↑ https://www.hasbro.com/common/instruct/Candy_Land__(2004).pdf

About This Article

Ashton Wu Reviewed by: Ashton Wu Board Game Expert This article was reviewed by Ashton Wu and by wikiHow staff writer, Glenn Carreau. Ashton Wu is a Board Game expert at Shelfside. After delving into the Yugioh tournament community while growing up, Ashton launched himself into the board gaming community in 2014 and went into reviewing board games as a career full-time in 2019. His YouTube channel Shelfside has over 50K subscribers and over 4 million views, assisted by written reviews on the Shelfside website and BoardGameGeek.com. He also consults with gaming companies to build high-quality gaming products. Ashton is a tournament commentator, board game playthrough director, and host of the Shelfside Podcast, where he talks about board games with his business partner, Daniel. He received a Bachelor of Arts in Economics at the University of California, Santa Barbara, in addition to the Technology Management Certificate. This article has been viewed 726,855 times. 86 votes - 69% Co-authors: 61 Updated: March 10, 2025 Views: 726,855 Categories: Board Games for Children Article SummaryX

Candy Land is a fun 2-4 player board game where players try to make their way around the board and reach the Candy Castle first. To play Candy Land, start by having each player choose a gingerbread pawn to play with. The youngest player goes first. On your turn, draw a card off the top of the deck. If the card has a single colored square, move your gingerbread pawn to the next square in that color. If the card has 2 colored squares on it, move your pawn to the second next square in that color. If the card has a picture on it, move your pawn forward or backward to the nearest space with that same picture on it. After you move, the player to your left goes next. If you land on either the Rainbow Trail or Gumdrop Pass spaces, move your space all the way to the other end of the trail shortcut. If you land on one of the Licorice spaces, skip your next turn. The first player to get all the way to the end of the board and land on the rainbow space in Candy Castle is the winner! For tips on using shortcuts and making the game easier for younger players, read on! Did this summary help you?YesNo

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  • Heather Sanford

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Yes No Did this article help you? Say thanks with a small tip. icon $1 $3 $5 Leave a Tip Support our mission to help everyone in the world learn how to do anything. Advertisement Cookies make wikiHow better. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Ashton Wu Reviewed by: Ashton Wu Board Game Expert 86 votes - 69% Click a star to vote Co-authors: 61 Updated: March 10, 2025 Views: 726,855 Heather Sanford

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"This article helped me understand the rules more. Since I have to make a game based off a another game in history..." more Rated this article: Jeff Woody

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"My three-year-old granddaughter wanted to play her Candy Land game, but it had been many years since I had played...." more Tori Slater

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