Flock of Sheep

2 players Ages 6+ 25 min

A game where sheep leave their pen and then flock together. Your goal is to end up with a flock containing the most sheep of your color.

There are 12 2x2unit tiles (called “sheep”) comprising 2 sets of reversible tiles with black sheep on one side and white sheep on the other, having Black: White ratios of {6:1, 5:2, 4:3, 3:4, 2:5, 1:6).

One set black-up is randomly mixed with the other set white-up and then randomly dealt out in a ring enclosing the 9 central points of a go board, forming a pen.

Movement

On a turn, Sheep always move orthogonally a distance of exactly 5 steps, and if not forming a flock, they then flip over. They are allowed one change of direction per move.

The game has two phases: 1) Dispersing from the pen, 2) Flocking together.

1) Dispersing from the pen,

During the Dispersing phase, priority is given to moving sheep that have the most length of shared edges. The sheep must move to reduce the total length of connections, and the number of touching corners. The Dispersing phase ends when no sheep are touching each other.

2) Flocking together.

During this phase, the sheep may move next to one another. When they end up sharing more than a corner with other friendly sheep, they form a flock and are not required to complete the turn with is flip. Flocked sheep no longer move and may not be flipped.

It is not allowed to repeat board positions during play (for example by returning a piece that the other player just moved)

The game ends when all the sheep are in Flocks.

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Trivalent

2 players, blue and orange

You will need the hex board above and a supply of blue and orange stones.

Object

The player with the largest connected group in her color wins.

Group – A group is a number of connected adjacent stones of your color.

Play

The board starts out empty. Black spots on the board are blocked and cannot be played on.

Blue moves first, turns alternate. The pie rule is used.

Place three stones on three adjacent vertices. One out of the three stones is an opponent’s stone. You may not place two like color stones on the same column nor may you place stones on blocked vertices.

The game ends when a player is unable to take her turn.

Kasta

Kasta is an old Norse word, meaning to throw away, discard, or dispose of.

A game for 2,3 or 4 players ages 8+

Materials

72 dice in 4 colors and an 8×9 inch rectangular rack.

Object

To be the player with the lowest score after 3 rounds.

Setup

To start a round place the rectangular rack between the players, then fill the rack with the 72 dice arranging them until they all fit inside the rack and are lying flat. Then remove the rack leaving an 8×9 pool of dice. Place the rack aside to be used as the discard pile during the game. 

2 Player Game

Decide who goes first. The first player takes 3 dice from the first layer of border dice for himself and then selects 3 more dice from the first layer of border dice giving them to his opponent. Players must take care not to flip the dice when doing so. Each layer of border dice must be completely taken before taking dice from subsequent inner layers. The second player then does the same as the first.

From this point on play alternates, so on your turn you must take 3 dice for yourself and then select 3 more dice and give those to your opponent. You may also optionally do 1 of 3 things on your turn,

1) Discard a die from your hand to the rack or

2) Turn a die from your hand to another side or

3) Discard a set of 4 dice from your hand to the rack that forms a pattern or sequence.

The pattern or sequences are as follows.

•4 dice with the same color and number or

•4 dice in different colors and the same number or

•4 dice in 3 possible sequences with the same color or

•4 dice in 3 possible sequences and in different colors

The round ends when the pool is empty.

Players then take one last turn discarding four dice that form a pattern or sequence from their hand.

SCORING

Add up the pips in your remaining hand. The player with the lowest score after 3 rounds is declared the winner. If a draw occurs, play another round.

3 or 4 Player Game

A 3 or 4 player game is played the same as a 2-player game; with the exception that any dice you pass off, you do so to your opponent on your left.

Copyright 2020, Rey Alicea

Posies

2, 3 players.  Ages 7+

Materials

A hex board having 51 vertices and 54 pieces (posies) in 3 colors.

Object

The player with the highest score wins.

Setup

Players take turns randomly placing three posies of different colors, one to a vertex on the board. The remaining 3 posies are used in a variant of the game.

Definitions

Group – adjacent posies. One posy is also a group.

Play

Choose a starting player, then turns alternate.

On a turn, 

1. Remove 2 like color non-adjacent posies that are separated by a straight line of adjacent posies. Removed posies are scored at the end of the game or
2. Remove 2 adjacent like color poises.

If a group is split (divided by empty spaces) into 2 or more groups, the moving player who caused the split keeps the smallest group. But if the smallest groups are of equal size, the moving player then decides which one of those to keep.

The game ends when a player cannot take his turn.

Scoring

Pink posies are worth 1 point each, Purple posies are worth 2 points each, and Green posies are worth 3 points each. Players add up their points, and the player with the highest score wins.

Two Variants

1. The rules are the same except that the player with the most posies wins.
2. The rules are the same except that at the start three posies (one of each color) are placed in a bag. The rest of the posies are used to set up the board. Next players draw one posy from the bag making sure to keep it hidden from the other players until the end of the game. At the end of the game, players reveal their hidden posy. Total all the posies in your revealed color including the one that was hidden (all posies are worth 1 point each). Then multiply the total by 3 and add in the posies not in your revealed color to your total. The player with the highest score wins.

BGG Entry: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/327291/posies

1st place winner of the 2020 Children’s Game Print and Play Contest in the “Abstract Strategy Category” https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/2523195/2020-childrens-game-print-and-play-design-contest/page/6

Copyright 2020, Rey Alicea