Gemini
| Gemini | ||
|---|---|---|
| Travis Larchuk | ||
| A quick game of luck and strategy | ||
| Players: | 2 | |
| Length: | Fast | |
| Complexity: | Medium | |
| Trios per color: | 5 | |
| Number of colors: | 4-6 | |
| - - - - - - Other equipment - - - - - - | ||
| d4 dice, bag | ||
| Setup time: | 3 Min | |
| Strategy depth: | Low | |
| Random chance: | Medium | |
| Theme: | Transport | |
| Status: Playtesting (v1), Year released: 2001 | ||
| This game was retrieved from archive.org, but it's missing the diagram of the Gemini, so play is unclear. | ||
Equipment[edit | edit source]
- Basic setup 4 stashes
- Advanced setup 6 stashes
- Can add more colours of small pyramids
Setup[edit | edit source]
- Create the Gemini
- 3 Medium Green inside 3 Large Yellow
- 3 Medium Blue inside 3 Large Red
- arrange on table as per (missing!) diagram
- all (20-30) small pyramids go into the bag
- Extra large pyramids are Transports, arranged anywhere on the table (leaving space around the Gemini) (14-20)
- Remaining medium pyramids not required
- cap each Transport with a small pyramid drawn randomly from the bag
Goal[edit | edit source]
Have the most gems when the game ends
Play[edit | edit source]
Each round
- Roll d4 to determine # of actions.
- Take a number of Actions <= the die roll
- Transit: move a Transport that has a gem on it so the base aligns with the base of a pyramid on your side of the Gemini, or with a matching colour Transport that is already so aligned. This is "docking"
- Moving transports much always be in contact with the playing area, and cannot disturb other pieces when they move. Some positions may be blocked.
- Depart: move a gem from a docked transport to the Gemini, or to an adjacent docked empty transport
- Capture: move a gem from your opponents side of the Gemini to your own; it must matches a colour you have on your side
- Transit: move a Transport that has a gem on it so the base aligns with the base of a pyramid on your side of the Gemini, or with a matching colour Transport that is already so aligned. This is "docking"
Game End[edit | edit source]
The game ends at the end of the players turn when the last gem is removed from a Transport.
Variations[edit | edit source]
Try the variations in any combination, or make up your own!
- strategari: Gems are initially onto transports by players taking turns. Roll die once to determine how many actions both players will get on their turns. You cannot completely reverse an opponents move (but you can partially reverse it).
- benevolence: Goal is to have the least gems. Capture action becomes Donate: give the opponent a gem of a colour they have. The depart action allows you to move gems you your opponents Transports.
- malevolence: swap is an additional action type, to exchange any two gems. Game ends when a player has all the gems on their side.
- evolence: play without the capture action
- continuouso: and end of each turn, the player refills any empty transports from the bag. Game ends when all gems have been transitted off all tranports
- transfiguro: adds "transfigure" option where any' gem can be swapped with a random one from the bag
- unein: play as if all gems are the same colour.
- magicio: gems grant special powers when they're on your side of the Gemini
- blue - can re-roll the die
- red - opponent loses 1 action from their die roll
- yellow - can use an action to "swap" or "transfigure" (as above)
- green - can use an action to add a gem from the bag to an empty transport
- other - get 1 more action for each gem of a single other colour
- banish: For setup gems aren't placed on Transports. Each player draws 8 gems for their side of the Gemini and use rules as in benevolence above. You can also depart gems to Transports