Spectrum
Under development
This game is currently under development, in the Initial Design stage. Feedback is strongly encouraged! Feel free to give comments on game design or structure on the talk page.
| Spectrum | ||
|---|---|---|
| Designed by Erik Dresner | ||
| A "currency" exchange game | ||
| Players: | 2 - 4 | |
| Length: | unknown | |
| Complexity: | light | |
| Trios per color: | 5 | |
| Number of colors: | 12 (one each of all 12 available colors) | |
| - - - - - - Other equipment - - - - - - | ||
| directional indicator, draw bags/boxes | ||
| Setup time: | 5-10 minutes | |
| Strategy depth: | medium? | |
| Random chance: | very little | |
| Theme: | abstract | |
| Status: Initial design (v1.0), Year released: 2010 | ||
Objective[edit | edit source]
Reduce your personal stash of pyramids to 6 points. (Pyramids take the value of the number of pips on their side.)
Setup[edit | edit source]
1. Take one pyramid of each size and color and place them in a drawbag. (if using three draw bags or boxes, one for each size).
2. Either all players start with a medium pyramid of value 2 in each color
3. Separate the remaining pyramids by color and place them in a circle, each color taking up one spot. This will be the Spectrum.
4. Place the directional arrow in the spectrum pointing clockwise (but not the center as this will cause confusion as to the direction of the exchange).
5. Draw three sets of goals. Each set consists of one pyramid of each size in random colors.
Play[edit | edit source]
Starting with the start player, each player must make an exchange or upconversion.
Exchanging is converting pyramids of one color to another. The rules of exchanging are as follows:
- Pyramids can only be exchanged for the next color on the spectrum in the direction of the indicator.
- More than 1 pyramid may be exchanged provided they are all the same color.
- Pyramids cannot be exchanged for identical sizes. A large blue pyramid cannot be exchanged for a large red pyramid for example. However, a large blue pyramid can be exchanged for 1 small and 1 medium red, or 3 small.
- Exchanges are considered a single transaction. Therefore, if a player exchanges 2 small and 2 medium in a turn, they can only take 2 large due to rule 3.
- Exchanges are always even. Players must receive pyramids totalling the value they exchanged for.
- Pyramids are finite. There will only be 4 pyramids of each color available in the game. Players may not exchange for more than this. (for example, a player cannot exchange 2 large pyramids for 6 small).
Upconverting is exchanging a pyramid of one value for another of 1 value higher within the same player. For example, a player upconverting a 2-value blue pyramid trades it in for a 3-value blue pyramid.
In the event the spectrum does not have the size and color of a pyramid needed, the player may instead take the needed pyramid from another player's stash. (Exchanged pyramids from the old color are still returned to the spectrum.)
Conversion[edit | edit source]
At the end of a player's turn, they check for conversion. If the player's stash contains a match to one of the goals, the following commences:
- The 3 matching pyramids in that player's stash are returned to the spectrum.
- The goal is returned to the draw bag. A new goal is drawn.
- The directional indicator is reversed. Now exchanges move in the other direction.
End Game[edit | edit source]
Game end: As soon as a player's stash contains 6 or less points in pyramids, that player wins.