Ants and the Cake

Everyone loves a picnic — especially ants. And the picnic yummy that ants love the very best is cake. Let's face it ... ants love cake.

But cake is too big for one ant to carry alone. That is why ants cooperate. Ants are very good at cooperating — at least with members of their own anthill. But they don't do so well at cooperating with ants from other anthills.

This is why when a piece of cake is left after a big picnic, ant clans fight so hard to get the cake for themselves.

That is the basis of "Ants and the Cake" — two groups of ants fighting for a single piece of cake.

Object of the game: Capture the cake for your anthill and your family of ants.

Additional equipment: One six-sided die.

Board setup: The back row for each player (row 1) represents the anthill. Each player puts 8 ants in this "anthill" row.

After it is decided which player goes first, the other player will place a queen in the very center of the board to represent the cake. Or, if you prefer, a candy, small piece of cake or other treat may be placed in the center of the board instead of the queen. In either case this will be the prized "Cake" which the ants shall fight over. Keep in mind that placing the "cake" in the center of the board means it will not be in a square; it will be on the lines between squares.

How to play: To start the game, players decide who goes first. This can be by mutual agreement, or loser goes first, or youngest first, or highest roll on a six-sided die goes first, or arm wrestling for all I care. Just figure out who is going first, otherwise, you'll end up sitting there like lumps all day waiting to get started.

At the beginning of each turn, a player rolls a six-sided die. The number on the die will tell the player how many ants to move that turn. Each ant moves one (1), and only one (1) square each turn. This means that on any given turn (depending on the luck of the roll) a player may move six (6) ants or a player may move only one (1) ant. It all depends on luck.

Ants may move forward, backward, left or right. Ants may not move diagonally. No diagonal moves are allowed.

A player may not put two of her ants on the same square.

However, if a player's ant moves into a square occupied by an opposing ant, then the opposing ant is sent back to its starting line (anthill). The ant that is sent back is put into any empty square closest to the center of the anthill.

When an ant is taken, the victorious ant is said to be "hot." A "hot" ant may be counterattacked immediately by any adjacent ants from the other anthill — if the defending player so chooses. This will happen right in the middle of the attacking player's turn even before the rest of her moves are completed. This creates a rapid exchange of attacks and counterattacks.

The defending player must decide without delay and the counterattack happens at that very moment — even before the attacking player finishes her moves. If the defending player does choose to counterattack her ant then becomes "hot." This exchange of attack and counterattack happens right in the middle of a turn. When all adjacent ants are gone or a player declines to counterattack, the original player completes her turn.

Let's look at an example of how attacks and counterattacks work with "hot" ants. Assume that the Black ant (a) moves onto the square occupied by the White ant (b) sending it back to the anthill. The Black ant (a) is now "hot." White may choose to counterattack this "hot" ant or may choose not to counterattack. In our example, White decides to counterattack Black ant (a) using the White ant (c).

Thus, White ant (c) takes Black ant (a) leading to the configuration of ants as seen on the right. After taking ant (a) the White ant (c) is now "hot." And so the battle continues, since given the choice, Black decides to attack her opponent's "hot" ant with the Black ant (d).

Black ant (d) takes White ant (c) leading to the new arrangement as seen on the left. At this point, Black ant (d) is "hot." And so the carnage continues as White ant (e) jumps at the chance to take Black ant (d). This once again leaves the White ant (e) as "hot." But, alas, there are no adjacent ants to attack, counterattack, or counter-counterattack.

As you can see in the image to the right, with no remaining ants to attack, the "hot" spell ends allowing Black to finish whatever is left of the turn.

How to win: To capture the cake all that is required is for a player to surround the cake (queen) with four ants. When the cake is surrounded by four ants of the same color the cake is captured, carried away, and eaten by those ants ... yum.

Multiple players: For instructions on how to play this game with more than two players, watch for a future expanded edition of this book.

Jousting

There's nothing quite like the thrill of watching full grown men climb upon massive horses and gallop full speed toward each other waving great, huge sticks ready to knock the other from his steed into the mud and horse poop.

Noble men and noble women of the Middle Ages were much amused by these "Jousting" matches. And for those not lucky enough to be born during the time of rampant state sanctioned ignorance and plague, there is always the historical re-enactment societies of today.

This game, coincidentally also called "Jousting," is the chessboard non-chess game equivalent of the Middle Ages sport. Our game is guaranteed to be packed with the same thrills and chills, excitement and spills, everything except for the mud and horse poop. That you'll have to either do without or supply on your own.

Or, if you prefer genuine Everything other than Chess brand mud and horse poop, contact us and we'll be glad to package some up and send it your way — for a minor fee, of course.

Object of the game: Win more jousting matches than your opponent.

Additional equipment: Two six-sided dice and a bag of counting stones.

Board setup: The back row for each player (row 1) represents the starting gate for the knights in the jousting tournament. Each player places eight (8) knights (pawns) in this row.

How to play: Players decide who goes first.

A player begins a turn by rolling two (2) six-sided die. That player then selects two of her jousters and moves them according to the roll of the dice.

A player may move either two jousters (one for each die) or a single jouster (using the sum of the dice).

A jouster may not move past an opponent's piece.

Jouster's move in a forward direction only.

If there is no jouster that may move the specified number of squares that die is forfeit for that turn and only one jouster moves. Or, if it is not possible to use either of the die rolls, then the player gets to move none of his jousters that turn.

If a jouster lands on an opponent's piece that jousting match goes to (i.e. is won by) the player whose jouster lands upon the opponent's jouster.

When a joust is won the winning player takes a token (bean or other marker) from the common pile to denote the win.

Each player will maintain a clearly visible pile of counters. This helps nervous types keep track of how far ahead or how far behind they are.

After a joust is won the two pieces from that joust are returned to their respective home row squares. All other pieces are left on the board as they are. Only the two pieces from the joust in question are returned.

A roll of six (6) is special. A player rolling six may choose to use it as normal — moving a jouster six squares. Or, a player may choose to use a roll of six (6) to reset a joust. Resetting a joust means that the two pieces on that column are returned to their beginning squares. Once the jousting pieces are returned to their respective home squares, that joust is treated as any other joust.

A player rolling a six may reset a joust with the six then use the remaining die to move the jouster from the freshly reset column.

How to win: The first player to win 20 jousts is declared the winner with all appropriate bragging rights.

Multiple players: It is possible to play Joust with 2, 4, 6 or 8 players. When playing with two, each player has eight (8) jousters on her side. When playing with four, each player has four (4) jousters under her control. When playing with six, or eight, we recommend dividing into two teams of either three for four respectively. These teams can then argue endlessly about what to do before making a move. This should provide endless fun for those watching the game and might even lead to a few jousting matches right there in the living room.

Example Move: If it happens to be White's turn, a roll of three would win the joust in the second column, a roll of two would win the joust in the third column, a roll of five would win the joust in the fourth column, and a roll of four would win the joust in the eight column. Or, one could combine both dice to achieve a role of seven to win jousts in column one, five, or seven.

Scatter

Remember entering the kitchen late at night? As you walk into the dark room, find the wall switch and turn on the light, a squadron of multi-legged creatures scatter for safety in the dark recesses of the room.

That's exactly what the game of Scatter is like. Players start by placing eight bugs each in the middle of the "floor." After all the bugs are placed in the open, the game begins — a mad dash toward the safety of the dark squares on the edge of the board.

Object of the game: Get your eight "bugs" (pawns) to the safety of the dark squares on the edge of the "floor" (board).

Additional equipment: No additional equipment required.

Board setup: Play begins with a blank board — no bugs present. During the setup phase of the game, players take turns adding "bugs" piece by piece until the center (four by four square) is filled.

The board to the left is an example of what a setup may look like after "bugs" are placed on the board. Each game setup will be different depending upon how participating players choose to place their "bugs".

How to play: Players decide who goes first. This can be either by agreement or the rolling of a six-sided die to see who rolls highest or whatever.

The first thing players do is add "bugs" to the center of the board until each player has eight "bugs" on the board — as described under board setup.

When this setup phase is finished, the center of the "floor" will be filled with bugs — eight white and eight black.

After the setup is complete, imagine someone has walked into the kitchen and turned on the light — now the scatter begins.

Think of the scatter phase of the game as the reaction of the bugs on the kitchen floor to the light being turned on. The bugs run for the safety of the edge — in this case, any one of the fourteen (14) dark squares (indicated by v) on the side of the chessboard.

During the scatter phase, each player moves one bug per turn. A bug may be moved one square (up, down, left, right, or diagonally).

In addition to simple one square moves, a bug may jump other bugs. In fact, a bug may perform several consecutive jumps if the opportunity presents it self.

A jump is allowed provided there is an empty space on the opposite side of an adjacent piece (either your own or your opponent's). In the sample game to the right, let's look at a jump possible for the Black piece, in Black's row five (5) column six (6). (Recall that from White's perspective this would be row four (4) column three (3). The piece in question could jump, in one single turn, first to 1, then to 2, then 3, then finally to four. This may or may not be a wise move. The point here is that it is a legal move.

How to win: To win the game, be the first to get your eight bugs into dark squares on the edge of the board. Actually, it is not a question of being first. Since there are sixteen bugs and only fourteen dark edge squares, if you get your eight bugs to safety, your opponent will be left with two bugs standing around in the middle of the floor. Thus, your bugs will have reached the relative safety of dark corners away from the light. And, your opponent's bugs face the dangers of the dreaded kitchen floor in the light.

If both players manage to get seven bugs each into the edge squares the game is declared a draw.

Multiple players: Scatter may be played by two or four players. The two player version is as described above. In the four player version of the game, one may either play as teams in which each team member takes alternate turns moving the "bugs". Or, by adding pieces from a second (differently colored) chess set, each of four players may control four of the sixteen bugs.

When playing with four — not in team mode — there will be more than one player getting all four of her bugs home.

In this case, the first player to get her bugs to safety is the first place winner, the second player to get her bugs to safety is the second place winner, and so on.

Night Bombing

It is a well known fact, at least in science fiction circles, that certain advanced races have mastered the art of guiding meteorites from space to land with a fiery vengeance upon their enemies — a rain of terror from above — like weapons. These advanced races (typically alien) influence the fall of incoming meteorites through mystical mental powers left unexplained — especially since special effects in the 1950s were not up to the standards of today. Apart from the cost savings of using floating debris from space as weapons, this method of warfare has two minor drawbacks: 1) it must be done at night, 2) it's not very accurate as a weapon and you run a very real risk of hitting your own people. Well, dem's da breaks. At least you are not bombing your own people with bombs costing millions to build. And it might be a good thing to clean up space removing all of the floating rocks and such.

Object of the game: Bomb five of your opponent's pieces before five of your own pieces are blown to bits.

Additional equipment: Two eight-sided dice.

Board setup: Play begins with an empty board. During the first phase of game play, players take turns placing pieces one at a time on the board (one per turn) until all thirty-two (32) pieces, are positioned on the game board. Each player uses all sixteen (16) of her pieces making for a total of thirty-two (32) targets.

After all of these targets are placed upon the board, the second phase of game play begins: players start raining meteorites down upon each other's heads.

How to play: To drop a meteorite a player rolls two eight-sided dice. These two dice will be the row and column coordinates of the bomb.

The row/column numbers for each player is relative to that player's point of view. The column count begins with one (1) on the left and ends with eight (8) on the right. The row count begins with row one (1) nearest the player and ends with row eight (8) on the far side of the board. Thus, row one for a player will be an opponent's row eight — and vice versa.

A player has the choice of which eight-sided dice is the row and which eight-sided die is the column. This gives a player marginal control over the meteorite's coordinates — hopefully making it possible to avoid one's own pieces.

If the meteorite drops on an opponent's piece, the piece is placed in a victory pile.

If a meteorite drops upon a player's own piece it goes into the "oops" pile.

Every piece in a player's oops pile counts as half a piece against pieces in her victory pile. Thus, if a player has two pieces in her oops pile then she will need to collect six pieces (five plus one extra to compensate for the 2 oops) in the victory pile in order to win.

Only pieces in your victory pile count toward the calculation of winning scores.

How to win: Players win by collecting pieces in their victory piles. The first to reach a victory count of five (5) wins. Keep in mind that each "oops" piece counts as 1/2 against the victory count. In a time limited game the player with the higher count wins.

Example Play: The image on the left illustrates the starting position for the example.

Assume the following moves:

White (1,3)
Black (4,2)
White (8,2) miss
Black (7,2)
White (6,4)
Black (8,2) miss.

At this point the game would be tied. Each player has managed to guide meteorites into two of the opponent's pieces — along with one miss each. The new board position is detailed in the image on the next page.

Let's assume, White's next roll was a two, two (2,2). In this case, White cannot escape sending a meteorite slamming into one of her own pieces. Bad luck. Guess that's what you get for using unwieldy, clumsy meteorites for weapons.

Multiple players: This game will work with two, three, four, or more players. Pieces from additional chess sets may be added.

If the board becomes too crowded, then players may elect to use only eight targets each.

When playing as teams, team members should combine bombed pieces into a common victory pile — one for each team.