Subdivision

Subdivision
Carlton Noles
A Real Estate Development Game
:Players	Players:	2 - 4
:Time	Length:	unknown
:Complexity	Complexity:	Medium
Trios per color:		5
Number of colors:		1 per player
Pyramid trios:
Monochr. stashes:		1 per player
Five-color sets:
- - - - - - Other equipment - - - - - -
A board ( a Chessboard Bandanna works nicely ), some markers
Setup time:		Mere minutes
Playing time:
Strategy depth:		Medium
Random chance:		None
Game mechanics:
Theme:		Real Estate
BGG Link:
Status: Complete (v1.0), Year released: 2007

The Background

You are a real estate developer competing with others to develop a new subdivision. Where you build is somewhat restricted and what gets built next to you affects your value. Bring down your competitors value while maximizing your own.

Materials

• A monochrome stash for each player
• A grid (size depends on player count)
• Up to 9 stones/tokens that fit in the squares of the grid

::SML::SML::SML::SML::SML	::SML::SML::SML::SML::SML
Player 1	Player 2
::SML::SML::SML::SML::SML	::SML::SML::SML::SML::SML
Player 3	Player 4
:Volcano	:Beads
A grid	Some tokens

Setup

Set up a grid of the size indicated in the below table, and get ready with your tokens.

Players	Grid Size	Parks (Blocked Spaces)
2	6 x 6	6
3	7 x 7	4
4	8 x 8	4

You may have noticed there is a column up there for Parks (blocked spaces). Use some tokens (coins, Zendo Stones, etc) to block the Park spaces in any pattern you see fit. At the end of this placement, there should only be as many spaces as there are pyramids to be played. Personally I tend to be a bit symmetrical about park placement by starting with the corners, but it is up to the players.

Definitions

For the purposes of placement and scoring use the following definitions-

Near

Adjacent orthogonally or diagonally.

Neighboring

Adjacent Orthogonally.

Group

A collection of Neighboring pyramids of the same color.

Note that a pyramid Neighboring another pyramid is also Near it but the reverse is not necessarily true.

The Pieces

::L	::M	::S
Luxury High Rise	Single-Family Home	Manufactured Home

Luxury High Rise

This is represented by a 3-pip pyramid. You can't build your Luxury High Rises too close to each other.

Single Family Block Home

This is represented by a 2-pip pyramid. You can build these anywhere.

Manufactured Home Communities

These glorified trailer parks can only be built next to a Luxury High Rise (preferably your opponents') or another Manufactured Home Community.

Placement

Choose who goes first in the manner you wish (fisticuffs is generally frowned upon but is valid). The players then, in turn, place a pyramid on any unoccupied space with the following restrictions:

• A 3-pip pyramid may not be placed Near another 3-pip pyramid of the same color.
• A 1-pip pyramid must be placed Near a 1-pip pyramid of a different color or a 3-pip pyramid of a different color.

Keys to Successful Community Planning

Well, keys to your success anyway....

Stick Together: It is better for you to keep your buildings in one contiguous group whenever possible. This keeps your obviously superior structures separate from those of other (and therefore lesser) builders. Each group incurs a -1 point penalty. The fewer groups you have the more points you get in the final tally.

Keep Out The Riff Raff: Having too many Manufactured Home Communities near your Luxury High Rises brings down the value of the Luxury High Rises. Keep them away whenever possible.

Stick It to the Competition: Whenever possible, force your opponents to isolate their pieces or break up their Groups. Use the placement rules and parks to your advantage. If you can't build a Manufactured Home Community next to their Luxury High Rise then force them to build a Luxury High Rise next to your Manufactured Home Communities. Use the parks to your advantage as well.

Scoring

Once all pyramids have been played score the board. Points are accumulated for each player in the following manner:

1. Total the pip values of all of the pyramids placed by that player.
2. Subtract 1 point from that total for each Group, even the first one.
3. Subtract 1 point from that total for each 1-pip pyramid, after the first, of any color Near one of that player's 3-pip pyramids (up to a maximum of 3 points per 3-pip pyramid; a 3-pip is never worth less than 0 points).

The highest possible score is 29 points: 30 points worth of pyramids in 1 group (-1) with no deductions on any of its 3-pip pyramids (-0).

The player with the highest totals wins.

Some Examples:

(Images provided by SDG.)

3-Pip Scoring Example

In the above example, the 3-pip at A2 would be worth 3 points, because it has only a single 1-pip Near it. This would also be its value if there were no 1-pips near it.

The blue 3-pip at C2 is worth nothing because it has four 1-pips Near it and thus is worth -1 point for each after the first with a minimum of 0 points (a 3-pip can not have a negative value).

The 3-pip at F2 is worth 2 because there are two 1-pips near it.

Group Scoring

In the above example, there is one red group and two blue groups. The blue pieces shown start out worth the total number of pips -2 (-1 for each group). The red pieces start out worth the total number of pips -1 (for one group).

Complete Games

The Score of this game is:

Red: 24 = 30 - 4 (for four groups)

- 1 (3-pip @ F2 with two 1-pips Near it)

- 1 (3-pip @ E4 with two 1-pips Near it)

Blue: 23 = 30 - 3 (for three groups)

- 3 (3-pip @ C2 with five 1-pips Near it; maximum deduction is 3 points)

- 1 (3-pip @ B4 with two 1-pips Near it)

The Score of this game is:

Red: 20 = 30 - 6 (for six groups)

- 1 (3-pip @ D4 with two 1-pips Near it)

- 1 (3-pip @ B7 with two 1-pips Near it)

- 2 (3-pip @ C2 with three 1-pips Near it)

Blue: 17 = 30 - 7 (for seven groups)

- 3 (3-pip @ E6 with four 1-pips Near it)

- 1 (3-pip @ G6 with two 1-pips Near it)

- 1 (3-pip @ D3 with two 1-pips Near it)

- 1 (3-pip @ D1 with two 1-pips Near it)

Green: 14 = 30 - 6 (for six groups)

- 3 (3-pip @ E2 with four 1-pips Near it)

- 3 (3-pip @ E4 with four 1-pips Near it)

- 2 (3-pip @ A2 with three 1-pips Near it)

- 1 (3-pip @ E7 with two 1-pips Near it)

- 1 (3-pip @ B6 with two 1-pips Near it)

Variants

Park Place-ment

The players take turns placing the parks on the board before the game starts.

Private Parks

If a group occupies ALL of the squares near a park, it has exclusive access to that park and scores an additional 3 points.

Alternate setup for Threehouse set

This is the same info but adjusted for a ThreeHouse Set:

Players	Size	Parks (Blocked Spaces)
2	5 x 5	7
3	6 x 6	9
4	6 x 6	0

To Do

That is the game in a nutshell.

1. Get feedback from players.

External Links

• Subdivision is listed on BoardGameGeek.
• Homeworlds can be played online at Super Duper Games.
• Rules available in French at www.jeux-icehouse.com.

Entered in the Icehouse Game Design Competition, Summer 2007
Winner: Pylon 2nd: Subdivision 3rd: Zamboni Wars 4th: Geomancy
5th: Penguin Soccer 6th: Moon Shot 7th: Martian Coaster Chaturanga 8th: Trip Away