Dodj or Daar

Dodge or Dare, spelled DODJ OR DaAR in "The Game," is a recurring board game in The Amazing World of Gumball.

Plot

The game was invented by Gumball and Darwin. They have been shown playing it on many occasions throughout the series, often with disastrous results. In many flashbacks, Nicole recalled the boys making a huge mess whenever the game was played.

Eventually, they realized that despite how fun the game was, it was too destructive— it had the power to bend space and time to force its players to follow the rules. For example, if a card says that the floor is red hot lava, the floor will indeed feel like red hot lava, burning the feet of whichever player was unfortunate enough to have drawn said card. For this reason, the boys hid their creation under their bed, where it sat amongst a bunch of other trash the boys had stored there.

One day, while Nicole was cleaning their room, she found it. Gumball immediately shoved it in the trash bag with the other garbage, but Nicole fished it out to play with Richard and Anais. Unfortunately, they did not see the threat the game posed until after they were in too deep, having each been plagued by at least one "dodj" card. Nicole, unwilling to believe a simple board game had the power to ruin their lives so completely, put the game away, thinking that the dodj cards would wear off eventually. They did not, forcing the Wattersons to play the game through to the end to get rid of their plagues. Eventually, they finish the game, and the curses wear off.

It is presumed that after the events of "The Game," the Wattersons destroyed the board game, much like how Gumball destroyed his lucky helmet. Despite this, it can be seen in the Wattersons' basement in "The Nobody," when Gumball's flashlight briefly shines on it.

Gameplay

Dodj or Daar is a simple game revolving around traveling the board from start to finish. 

Objective

The main objective of the game, according to Gumball, is to "survive" until someone crosses the finish line. According to Nicole, the objective is to be the first one to the finish line. Either way, the game ends when a player rolls the exact amount they need to reach the finish line. It can be assumed that overshooting the finish line will either cause the player to move backwards or pick a dodj card.

Movement is accomplished by completing challenges on "daar" cards. Each player's turn begins with them rolling the dice and drawing a "daar" card. In order to move forward the number of spaces shown on the dice, the player must complete the challenge listed on the drawn card. Failing or refusing to do so results in moving half the number of spaces shown on the dice and a "dodj" card, which creates a random effect on the players or the environment until the end of the game.

Special Spaces

There are five types of spaces.

1. The normal space: Landing on this space has no special effect.
2. Dodj Bomb: Landing on this space forces every player to pick a dodj card.
3. Skull and Crossbones: It is unknown what these spaces do, as no one has ever landed on one.
4. Starting space: The players start here.
5. Ending space: The player has to get an exact amount of spaces to go in order to win the game after advancing to this space. Once done, all environmental effects will be reset.

Known "Dodj" and "Daar" Cards

Dodj Cards

• "The floor is now red hot lava" - Whenever the player tries to step onto the floor, it burns as if it were lava.
• "Your left arm must do what the player to your right's arm does and vice-versa" - One player's arm will control another player's arm as well.
• "CSD (compulsive singing disorder)" - The player starts to sing at random times.
• "From now on you will doubt every thought you have" - The player is afflicted with an imaginary second head that will doubt every sentence they say.
• "Dramatic music will play until the game is over" - Dramatic music plays until the game is over.
• "Freeze frame" - The player will be frozen in place until the game is over or another card's effect overlap it.
• "Groovy earthquake" - The player will suffer from their own personal earthquake as if it were a real earthquake.
• "Gravity is your enemy" - The player will have their own gravity increased, effectively making them heavier.
• "Giant hands" - The player is afflicted with huge hands.
• "Inverted mermaid" - The player is inflicted with a fish head and legs. (Darwin is not affected by this Dodj)
• "No one is allowed to breathe until the game is over" - All of the players suffocate until the game ends.

Daar Cards

• (unnamed) - A card that commands the player to lick themselves clean.
• (unnamed) - A card that commands the player to report a theft to the police, applying their own descriptions as if the player was the culprit. This card also makes them kiss whatever officer is on scene.
• "Order a prank pizza" - A card that commands the player to either to make sure that the pizza is delivered to the pizzeria itself or to come up with a fake address for the pizza guy to deliver it to.
• "Wear everything in the house" - A card that commands the player to wear everything in the house, not just clothes.
• "Run past a pack of dogs in a suit of ham" - A card that commands the player has to run past a pack of dogs in a suit made out of ham.
• "Take a Dodj card" - A card that commands the player to take a Dodj card no matter what.
• "Eat one-hundred hot-dogs in under a minute" - A card that commands the player to eat one hundred hot-dogs in under a minute.
• "Use spray-cheese instead of deodorant" - A card that commands the player to use spray cheese in their armpits as if it was deodorant.
• "Juggle flaming knives" - A card that commands the player to set a bunch of knives on fire and juggle them.
• "Drive the car from the backseat" - A card that commands the player to drive a car from the backseat, only using tools to reach the steering wheel and the pedals.
• "Date a sheep" - A card that commands the player to take a sheep to an awkward date.
• "Bathtub sledge" - A card that commands the player to slide down a hill or stairs in a bathtub, as if it were a sledge.
• "Put a gooey hairball in Miss Simian's lunch" - A card that commands the player to put a gooey hairball in Miss Simian's lunch (from "The Ape").
• "Throw water balloons at Miss Simian" - A card that commands the player to throw water balloons at Miss Simian (from "The Ape").
• "Cover Simian in slug juice" - A card that commands the player to cover Miss Simian in slug juice (from "The Ape").
• "Throw the ball to the moon using only objects from the trash. No hands." - A card that commands the player to build an invention to get a bowling ball to the moon using objects from the trash. Even if it fails, they are not allowed to use their hands until it hits either the moon or the ground (from "The Car").

Episode appearances

Season 1

• "The Third": Gumball and Darwin try to play it so they have something to do.
• "The Robot": Darwin plays it with Bobert, who is pretending to be Gumball.
• "The Ape": Gumball and Darwin play it with Miss Simian.
• "The Car": It causes Gumball and Darwin to get in trouble with Mr. Robinson.

Season 2

• "The Colossus": It makes a cameo when Gumball smashes the computer.
• "The Game": Its first major role. The Wattersons play it and destroy their house in the process.

Season 3

• "The Nobody": It makes a cameo as one of the stolen items.

Gallery

Trivia

• The very concept of a board game causing real-life consequences as people play it seems to be parodying the books (and their subsequent film adaptations) Zathura and Jumanji. Also, much like these two titular board games, the players must finish Dodj or Daar for anything summoned by it to disappear and return everything back to normal.
• The name of the game is a homophone/misspelling of "Dodge or Dare." Anais points this out in "The Game."
• In its earlier appearances, the box for the game reads "Dodge or Dare." It is not until the episode "The Game" that it appears as it is spelled now.
• The first few times the game has been shown, Gumball can never finish stating the rules. He is either interrupted or simply decides not to finish. The slogan was finally stated fully in "The Ape."
• The saying that goes along with playing Dodj or Daar is as follows: "Dodj or Daar! Roll the dice, pick a card!"
• Though the card's objectives usually vary (as seen in "The Car" when Gumball has to build an elaborate contraption to launch a ball to the moon using objects found only in their trash), all of the cards featured in "The Ape" were about pranking Miss Simian.
• The Dodj or Daar game board is completely different in "The Game."
• "The Game" was the final episode that prominently featured Dodj or Daar because Gumball and Darwin swore that they would never play the game again. However, in "The Nobody," it can be seen in the Wattersons' basement.
• There were two sets of cards in "The Game."