3-High

3-High
Jason Troutman
Cooperatively assemble the five trees without running out of cards.
:Players	Players:	1 - 4
:Time	Length:	Medium
:Complexity	Complexity:	Simple
Trios per color:		1
Number of colors:		5
Pyramid trios:
Monochr. stashes:
Five-color sets:		1
- - - - - - Other equipment - - - - - -
Chessboard, Playing cards
Setup time:		2 min
Playing time:		5 min - 20 min
Strategy depth:		Medium
Random chance:		Medium
Game mechanics:		Cooperative
Theme:		Abstract
BGG Link:		61887
Status: Complete (v1.0), Year released: 2009
3rd place in the Spring 2009 Icehouse Game Design Competition

3-High

This is my entry for the 2009 Spring Icehouse Game Design Competition.
Using the following terms: High, Team, and Diamond.
Jason Troutman

Equipment Needed

• 1-4 People that play as a team
• Chessboard
• 1 Treehouse set
• 1 deck of playing cards minus cards 9, 10, J, Q, K & Jokers.

Object

Assemble the five trees without running out of cards.

Setup

Place the chessboard in the center of the play area.
Separate the playing cards into piles of red suit & black suit cards, shuffle each pile seperately and set them aside.
Separate the treehouse pieces into stacks of the same size (3s, 2s, 1s, color order does not matter).

Board Setup

For each piece, starting with the largest and continuing to the smallest, draw a red card and a black card and place the piece onto the corresponding space of the chess board.
Follow the grid system below.

If a piece is to share a space with another, place it on top.

Once all pieces are placed on the board, shuffle the cards together and deal the hands according to the number of players.

• 1 player = 6 cards
• 2 players = 5 cards each
• 3 players = 4 cards each
• 4 players = 3 cards each
  

Set the rest aside for a draw pile.
Randomly choose a player to go first.

On your turn

1. Choose a card from your hand and place it next to one of the four sides of the board.
   
2. Then move a piece towards that card under the following conditions:
   (value of card) minus (Piece size) = number of spaces towards card. Away from the card if the result is negative.
   example: Play an 8 to move a size 3 piece 5 spaces. Play an Ace to move a size 2 piece away 1 space.
   • If a diamond suited card is played, do not subtract piece size.
     example: 5 of Diamonds moves any piece 5 spaces.
   • Pieces move in a straight line in one direction.
   • Pieces may move over other pieces.
   • Pieces cannot move off of the board. If a piece must move off the board, the players lose the game.
   • Pieces can only move on top of other pieces of the same color that is one size larger. (1s on 2s and 2s on 3s)
   • When moving a piece that is on top of another, only count and move the top most piece.
3. When your move is complete, draw a card from the draw pile.
   • If your move completed a tree (a 1, on a 2, on a 3 of the same color), do not draw a card.
     Your hand will have one fewer card for the rest of the game.

Losing

• When a piece is moved off of the board.
• When a player cannot play a card on their turn.
• When the draw pile runs out.

Winning

When all five trees are completed.

External Links

• 3-High is listed on BoardGameGeek.
• [1] game homepage
• Rules availables in French in pdf format at www.jeux-icehouse.com

Entered in the Icehouse Game Design Competition, Spring 2009
Winner: Apophis 2nd: Landing Zone 3rd: 3-High
4th: Diamond Mine 5th: Who Made The Team