At the same time, everyone rolls their marbles towards the center creating a chaotic meteor shower!
Chains of marbles will be forming right and left. You get to take the chains where you have the most marbles. The player with the most marbles wins.
2-4 players
Set-up
1. Each player picks a color and gathers all 10 marbles of that color.
2. In the center of your playing area, scatter the 10 marbles from an unused color so none are sticking to each other.
3. Players sit around the center of the playing area equally spaced around the perimeter. Each player should be 2-3 feet from the center.
Play
Round 1:
1. Each players selects 5 of their marbles to be used in round 1. The other 5 marbles are set aside for use in round 2.
2. When someone says "Go," each player quickly rolls the marbles of their own color one at a time into the center. This is the chaotic meteor shower! Marble chains will be forming right and left.
3. After the meteor shower, each chain of 3 or longer is examined. The chain is taken by the player who has the most marbles in the chain. If there is a tie, the chain stays out there for the next round. All chains of 2 or shorter stay out there for the next round.
4. If, during the meteor shower, any marbles rolled out of the playing area, these marbles are scattered in the center of the playing area so that none of are sticking to any other marble.
Round 2:
1. The 5 marbles that were set aside are now used in this round.
2. Steps 2-4 from round 1 are repeated.
Round 3:
1. Each player sorts the marbles they collected from the first two rounds: sorting the marbles into two "piles": their own color and any other color. Each player gets ready to roll all the marbles of their own color in the next meteor shower (round 3).
2. A new meteor shower is conducted using steps 2-4 from round 1.
Game Over
The game is over when only one player (or no players) has any marbles left of their own color. If the game is not over, repeat the steps of round 3 as you start a new meteor shower!
Scoring
When the game is over, count up all the marbles you have of any color. The player with the most marbles wins.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Friday, March 20, 2009
Martian Checkers
A magnetic twist on the classic game of Chinese Checkers!
Move your marbles toward their goal by connecting to other marbles along the way.
2-4 players
Goal
Roll your marbles into the circle that is across from you (your home circle). You win if you get the highest number of marbles into your home circle. In case of ties, the player who did it first wins.
Set-up
1. Select a playing surface: a short carpet, rug, or large table covered by a tablecloth.
2. Tie together the two ends of about 18 inches of string to make a circle about 6 inches in diameter. Make four of these circles.
For four players set up the circles as in the diagram above. The circles across from each other should be about 3 to 4 feet apart (whatever you agree upon). The above diagram is not to scale, but just shows the relative placement of the circles.
For three players, set up the circles as a triangle. For two players, set two circles up across from each other.
3. Each player picks a color and gathers just 7 marbles of that color. (You can decide to use all 10 marbles, but the game takes longer.)
4. Each player sits behind a different circle and places their marbles next to that circle (called the starting circle).
5. In the center of your playing area, scatter the 10 marbles from an unused color so none are sticking to each other. This seeds the playing area for so more chains will form.
Play
Phase 1 (Create some chaos): A Mini Meteor Shower
1. Each player gets ready to roll 7 their marbles.
2. When someone says "Go," each player quickly rolls the 7 marbles they have one at a time into the center. Marble chains will be forming right and left in the center of the playing area.
3. If, during this little meteor shower, any marbles roll completely out of the playing area, these marbles are returned to their owners and set inside their respective starting circles. They will be used in phase 2 (below).
Phase 2 (Create some order): Sending the Marbles Home
1. In this phase, players take turns rolling a marble. The goal is to roll your marbles into your home circle (the circle across from you).
2. On your turn, you either roll for the home circle directly or roll to connect to another marble(s) in the playing area.
Be careful! If you roll a marble and it doesn't get into the home circle or it doesn't connect to another marble(s) in the playing area, then you lose this marble. It is removed from the playing area and set aside.
Game Over
The game is over when no player can move a marble to their home circle. Count up the marbles in each home circle. The player with the highest number wins. In case of ties, the player who did it first wins.
What marbles can be rolled? A player can roll a marble of their own color (1) that is in their own starting circle or (2) at the end of a chain in the playing area.
Examples: Consider the green marbles in the chains below. In the first chain, the green marble can be rolled because it is at the end of a chain. In the second chain, the green marbles cannot be rolled because they are not at either end. When the white marble is rolled, for example, a green marble will be at the end at then you will be able to roll it. In the third chain, the green marble can be rolled. And, of course, in the fourth chain, the green marble can be rolled--it is the only marble in the chain.
What if a chain forms a circle (as below)? All marbles in a closed structure can be rolled (otherwise, the game will never end because you will never be able to roll one of these marbles).
What if my marble is surrounded by marbles from the unused color? Suppose that yellow is the unused color and that two yellow marbles surround your green marble. You are out of luck. The green marble can never be played, unless this chain gets transformed into a closed structure--which is very unlikely. Sorry.
What happens to those marbles returned to my starting circle (from step 3 in phase 1)? The marble(s) returned to your starting circle need to be rolled toward your home circle (just like your other marbles). On your turn, they can be rolled just like any other marble in the playing area.
We advise you to get these marbles out of the starting circle quickly. They could get trapped by the player using this circle as the home circle. In the picture below, suppose the green marble was returned to its starting circle. The blue player rolls marbles into her home circle and surrounds the green marble. The green marble is trapped! It can no longer move!
Move your marbles toward their goal by connecting to other marbles along the way.
2-4 players
Goal
Roll your marbles into the circle that is across from you (your home circle). You win if you get the highest number of marbles into your home circle. In case of ties, the player who did it first wins.
Set-up
1. Select a playing surface: a short carpet, rug, or large table covered by a tablecloth.
2. Tie together the two ends of about 18 inches of string to make a circle about 6 inches in diameter. Make four of these circles.
For four players set up the circles as in the diagram above. The circles across from each other should be about 3 to 4 feet apart (whatever you agree upon). The above diagram is not to scale, but just shows the relative placement of the circles.
For three players, set up the circles as a triangle. For two players, set two circles up across from each other.
3. Each player picks a color and gathers just 7 marbles of that color. (You can decide to use all 10 marbles, but the game takes longer.)
4. Each player sits behind a different circle and places their marbles next to that circle (called the starting circle).
5. In the center of your playing area, scatter the 10 marbles from an unused color so none are sticking to each other. This seeds the playing area for so more chains will form.
Play
Phase 1 (Create some chaos): A Mini Meteor Shower
1. Each player gets ready to roll 7 their marbles.
2. When someone says "Go," each player quickly rolls the 7 marbles they have one at a time into the center. Marble chains will be forming right and left in the center of the playing area.
3. If, during this little meteor shower, any marbles roll completely out of the playing area, these marbles are returned to their owners and set inside their respective starting circles. They will be used in phase 2 (below).
Phase 2 (Create some order): Sending the Marbles Home
1. In this phase, players take turns rolling a marble. The goal is to roll your marbles into your home circle (the circle across from you).
2. On your turn, you either roll for the home circle directly or roll to connect to another marble(s) in the playing area.
Be careful! If you roll a marble and it doesn't get into the home circle or it doesn't connect to another marble(s) in the playing area, then you lose this marble. It is removed from the playing area and set aside.
Game Over
The game is over when no player can move a marble to their home circle. Count up the marbles in each home circle. The player with the highest number wins. In case of ties, the player who did it first wins.
What marbles can be rolled? A player can roll a marble of their own color (1) that is in their own starting circle or (2) at the end of a chain in the playing area.
Examples: Consider the green marbles in the chains below. In the first chain, the green marble can be rolled because it is at the end of a chain. In the second chain, the green marbles cannot be rolled because they are not at either end. When the white marble is rolled, for example, a green marble will be at the end at then you will be able to roll it. In the third chain, the green marble can be rolled. And, of course, in the fourth chain, the green marble can be rolled--it is the only marble in the chain.
What if a chain forms a circle (as below)? All marbles in a closed structure can be rolled (otherwise, the game will never end because you will never be able to roll one of these marbles).
What if my marble is surrounded by marbles from the unused color? Suppose that yellow is the unused color and that two yellow marbles surround your green marble. You are out of luck. The green marble can never be played, unless this chain gets transformed into a closed structure--which is very unlikely. Sorry.
What happens to those marbles returned to my starting circle (from step 3 in phase 1)? The marble(s) returned to your starting circle need to be rolled toward your home circle (just like your other marbles). On your turn, they can be rolled just like any other marble in the playing area.
We advise you to get these marbles out of the starting circle quickly. They could get trapped by the player using this circle as the home circle. In the picture below, suppose the green marble was returned to its starting circle. The blue player rolls marbles into her home circle and surrounds the green marble. The green marble is trapped! It can no longer move!
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Saturn's Rings
The goal of this game is to roll your marbles so they end up inside the target. The closer to the center of the target, the more points you get.
Scoring
The center circle is worth 5 points. The middle circle, 3 points. The outer circle, 1 point.
Setting up the rings of Saturn
Using string, form a multi-layered target and place it in the middle of your playing area (e.g., carpet). The inner circle is approximately 2 inches in diameter. The middle circle, about 6 inches in diameter. The outer circle, about 10 inches in diameter.
A Round
A round ends after all players have taken turns rolling their 10 marbles toward the target.
Rules
1. Each player picks a color and gathers all 10 marbles of that color. (Five people can play.)
2. Everyone must agree on a distance to roll from: 2 feet, 3 feet, or farther. On your turn, roll one marble of your color toward the target from this distance. You can move around the target before you roll your marble, but make sure to roll from the distance that everyone agreed upon.
3. After all players have rolled their 10 marbles, the round is complete. Each player counts up their points. You get a point for each marble of yours that is inside the target: 5 points for a marble in the inner circle, 3 points in the middle circle, and 1 point in the outer circle.
4. What if a marble is on the line? If more than half the marble is inside the line, then consider the marble to earn the higher point value. Still, there will be cases where players will disagree. All players vote. In case of a tie vote, consider the marble to earn the higher point value.
5. How long to play? Either decide beforehand to play a certain number or rounds and you win if you have the most points after those rounds are completed. Or, decide beforehand to play until a player reaches a certain number of points, say 35. Decide beforehand what that number of points should be.
Scoring
The center circle is worth 5 points. The middle circle, 3 points. The outer circle, 1 point.
Setting up the rings of Saturn
Using string, form a multi-layered target and place it in the middle of your playing area (e.g., carpet). The inner circle is approximately 2 inches in diameter. The middle circle, about 6 inches in diameter. The outer circle, about 10 inches in diameter.
A Round
A round ends after all players have taken turns rolling their 10 marbles toward the target.
Rules
1. Each player picks a color and gathers all 10 marbles of that color. (Five people can play.)
2. Everyone must agree on a distance to roll from: 2 feet, 3 feet, or farther. On your turn, roll one marble of your color toward the target from this distance. You can move around the target before you roll your marble, but make sure to roll from the distance that everyone agreed upon.
3. After all players have rolled their 10 marbles, the round is complete. Each player counts up their points. You get a point for each marble of yours that is inside the target: 5 points for a marble in the inner circle, 3 points in the middle circle, and 1 point in the outer circle.
4. What if a marble is on the line? If more than half the marble is inside the line, then consider the marble to earn the higher point value. Still, there will be cases where players will disagree. All players vote. In case of a tie vote, consider the marble to earn the higher point value.
5. How long to play? Either decide beforehand to play a certain number or rounds and you win if you have the most points after those rounds are completed. Or, decide beforehand to play until a player reaches a certain number of points, say 35. Decide beforehand what that number of points should be.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Nebula: Version 4
The goal of this game is to roll your magnetic marbles so they end up inside a nebula (shown below). But to end up on the inside is trickier than you think!
Making a Nebula
To create a nebula, take a piece of string 8-10 feet long and tie together the two ends.
Arrange it in the center of your playing surface (e. g., carpet) so that it curves around but the string never crosses over itself. This is your nebula. You can make it have a different shape everytime you play!
Where is the inside?
Every time you move across a string, you move from being outside the nebula to being inside, or vice versa.
Following the picture above, when you go from left to right, you start on the outside of the nebula, then when you pass over the string you are inside the nebula. Pass over the string again and you are outside once gain. Explore the nebula to convince yourself that this is true.
It doesn't matter where you start on the outside of the nebula, it works the same way going from outside to inside to outside to inside and on and on.
So, you see, rolling a marble so it ends up inside the nebula is going to be tricky!
Rounds & Scoring
A round ends after all players have taken turns rolling their 10 marbles toward the target. At the end of the round, you get a point for each marble of yours that is inside the nebula.
Rules
1. Each player picks a color and gathers all 10 marbles of that color. (Five people can play.)
2. Everyone must agree on a distance to roll from: 2 feet, 3 feet, or farther. On your turn, roll one marble of your color toward the nebula from this distance. You can move around the nebula before you roll your marble, but make sure to roll from the distance that everyone agreed upon.
3. After all players have rolled their 10 marbles, the round is complete. Each player counts up their points. You get a point for each marble of yours that is inside the nebula.
First Example: The green marble below is awarded a point because it is inside the nebula. The yellow marble does not earn a point because it is outside the nebula.
Second Example: Both the blue and the yellow marbles below are definitely outside. The white marble is definitely inside. The green one is most likely inside. See the rule below for being inside.
7. What if a marble is on the line? If more than half the marble is inside the line, then consider the marble to be inside. Still, there will be cases where players will disagree. All players vote. In case of a tie vote, consider the marble to be inside.
8. How long to play? Either decide beforehand to play a certain number or rounds and you win if you have the most points after those rounds are completed. Or, decide beforehand to play until a player reaches a certain number of points, say 35. Decide beforehand what that number of points should be.
Making a Nebula
To create a nebula, take a piece of string 8-10 feet long and tie together the two ends.
Arrange it in the center of your playing surface (e. g., carpet) so that it curves around but the string never crosses over itself. This is your nebula. You can make it have a different shape everytime you play!
Where is the inside?
Every time you move across a string, you move from being outside the nebula to being inside, or vice versa.
Following the picture above, when you go from left to right, you start on the outside of the nebula, then when you pass over the string you are inside the nebula. Pass over the string again and you are outside once gain. Explore the nebula to convince yourself that this is true.
It doesn't matter where you start on the outside of the nebula, it works the same way going from outside to inside to outside to inside and on and on.
So, you see, rolling a marble so it ends up inside the nebula is going to be tricky!
Rounds & Scoring
A round ends after all players have taken turns rolling their 10 marbles toward the target. At the end of the round, you get a point for each marble of yours that is inside the nebula.
Rules
1. Each player picks a color and gathers all 10 marbles of that color. (Five people can play.)
2. Everyone must agree on a distance to roll from: 2 feet, 3 feet, or farther. On your turn, roll one marble of your color toward the nebula from this distance. You can move around the nebula before you roll your marble, but make sure to roll from the distance that everyone agreed upon.
3. After all players have rolled their 10 marbles, the round is complete. Each player counts up their points. You get a point for each marble of yours that is inside the nebula.
First Example: The green marble below is awarded a point because it is inside the nebula. The yellow marble does not earn a point because it is outside the nebula.
Second Example: Both the blue and the yellow marbles below are definitely outside. The white marble is definitely inside. The green one is most likely inside. See the rule below for being inside.
7. What if a marble is on the line? If more than half the marble is inside the line, then consider the marble to be inside. Still, there will be cases where players will disagree. All players vote. In case of a tie vote, consider the marble to be inside.
8. How long to play? Either decide beforehand to play a certain number or rounds and you win if you have the most points after those rounds are completed. Or, decide beforehand to play until a player reaches a certain number of points, say 35. Decide beforehand what that number of points should be.
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