Icehouse
| Icehouse | ||
|---|---|---|
| John Cooper and Andrew Looney | ||
| ||
| Icehouse is a real time game with a freeform board, with players placing attacking and defending pieces as rapidly or as cautiously as they want. But don't go into meltdown! | ||
| Players: | 3 - 5 | |
| Length: | unknown | |
| Complexity: | Medium | |
| Trios per color: | 5 | |
| Number of colors: | 1 per player | |
| - - - - - - Other equipment - - - - - - | ||
| 1 stash pad per player, optional timer | ||
| Setup time: | 1 minute | |
| Strategy depth: | Medium | |
| Random chance: | Low | |
| Game mechanics: | Real time, Freeform board | |
| Theme: | Ice | |
| BGG Link: | Icehouse | |
| Status: Complete (v1.0), Year released: 1989 | ||
Icehouse, the original game to play with your elongated pyramids, was envisioned by Andrew "The Emperor" Looney as part of his Empty City series of stories and turned into a game by John "Dr. Cool" Cooper. It is a real-time game of attack and defense, played on any flat surface.
It's not a perfect game, but it has a dedicated fan base who really enjoy its combination of strategy, tactics, and diplomacy.
Key features[edit | edit source]
Icehouse breaks with some of the traditions of strategy games. Instead of a board proscribing precise placement, the playing surface is arbitrary in size and shape, and may even contain obstacles (including stash pads). Pieces may be played anywhere on the board at nearly any time, because play is turnless, so it's normal for a flurry of activity to be followed by a moment of careful pondering. This anarchy in space and time makes the minimalist abstract game rich in strategy and skill.
See also: Icehouse strategy
International Icehouse Tournament[edit | edit source]
The International Icehouse Tournament started in 1989, and is currently part of the Big Experiment at Origins. This annual event regularly draws several contestants every year. Tucker Taylor is the current reigning World Champion.
Awards[edit | edit source]
- Origins Award in 2000 for Best Abstract Strategy Game (referring to the 1999 release of Icehouse: the Martian Chess Set).
External links[edit | edit source]
- Updated Icehouse rules in Pyramid Arcade format
- Icehouse rules from Wunderland
- The Icehouse Online Handbook
- Sample game on YouTube
- Rules in French at Jeux-icehouse.com
| Featured in Pyramid Arcade 22 More Great Games |
|---|
| Little Else Required |
| Apophis · Egyptian Solitaire · Freeze Tag |
| Gleebs and Grues · Logger · Timelock · Penguin Soccer |
| More Pyramids Required |
| Icehouse · Quicksand · Torpedo · Undercut |
| More Pyramids + Other Stuff Required |
| Alien City · Blam! · Builders of R'lyeh · Gnostica |
| Pikemen · Pylon · RAMbots · Stack Control |
| Subdivision · Synapse-Ice · Zendo |
| Featured in Pyramid Arcade Bonus Cards |
|---|
| Aquarius Rising · Blam! · Carrots and Broccoli · Freeze Tag |
| Gnostica · Icehouse · Penguin Soccer · Pyramid Ball |
| RAMbots · Skurðir · Solomids · Zendo |
| Featured in Playing with Pyramids |
|---|
| Gnostica · Martian Chess · RAMbots · Pikemen |
| Volcano · Zagami · Zendo · Martian Backgammon |
| IceTowers · Icehouse · Thin Ice · Homeworlds |
| Featured in ICE-7 |
|---|
| Zendo · IceTowers · Volcano · Homeworlds |
| Martian Chess · Icehouse · Tic Tac Doh! |