Martianopoly
| Martianopoly | ||
|---|---|---|
| Jason Troutman | ||
| "Chop down trees, erect buildings, make money." | ||
| Players: | 2 - 4 | |
| Length: | Medium | |
| Complexity: | Easy | |
| Trios per color: | 5 | |
| Number of colors: | 3 | |
| - - - - - - Other equipment - - - - - - | ||
| Chessboard or megavolcano board | ||
| Setup time: | 2 minutes | |
| Playing time: | 10 minutes - 40 minutes | |
| Random chance: | High | |
| Game mechanics: | Alignment | |
| Theme: | Real Estate | |
| BGG Link: | 40987 | |
| Status: Complete (v1.0), Year released: 2001 | ||
This is a Monopoly-inspired game with pyramids. It offers more limited resources and a quicker game duration than the Parker Bros original.
Rules[edit | edit source]
See the designer's page for complete rules.
Variants[edit | edit source]
Larger Boards[edit | edit source]
The published rules suggest: "Use an Icehouse set (set of 4 colors with 5 trios) to create a bigger board. Place the trees surrounding the center 16 squares on the chessboard." This variant works very well. The "Free Parking" pyramids that were formerly placed at the outer corners during play of the standard rules can instead go to the corners of the interior four-by-four grid.
A related variant, using 7 colors with 3 trios each (but only 2 trios for the seventh color), is not as satisfying. The tendency in that game is for the Bank to eventually own all of the properties (i.e. players are tied with 0-2 pyramids of any color, so all rents are paid to corner squares), and the "winner" is merely the last player not to fail -- still evidently doomed when the penultimate player goes down. (Regardless of whether this version more accurately models the mechanics of capitalism, it is less fun to play!)
Martianopoly Mayhem[edit | edit source]
The random Chance and Community Chest card actions in the original Monopoly inspired this further variant by Carthoris Pyramidos. It adds the following rule:
If there is no pyramid available to collect when a player lands on a corner space, the player rolls a die (conventional or Treehouse) and consults the following table.
| d6 | Treehouse | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | TIP | Windfall: Take a pyramid off the top of any tree on the board. If none are available, take it from another player: select a color and take the smallest pyramid the player has in that color. |
| 2 | AIM | Free Canal Ride: Move forward to the nearest space with pyramids of the color that is most numerous in your own inventory. Take from a tree, add to a nest, or pay rent, as usual. |
| 3 | DIG | Pay Fine: Pay one pyramid (of any size or color) to a corner space (the same space used to make payments for ties). |
| 4 | SWAP | Wheel and Deal: Exchange any pyramid of your own for a same-sized pyramid of another player. |
| 5 | HOP | Vacation Travel: Move to the opposite corner of the board. Collect a pyramid if there are any there, but don't roll the Mayhem die again. |
| 6 | WILD | No Rest for the Martian: Roll the number die and move again. |