Martian Tic-Tac-Toe
| Martian Tic-Tac-Toe | ||
|---|---|---|
| Chris Goodwin | ||
| Tic-Tac-Toe with Icehouse pieces | ||
| Players: | 2 | |
| Length: | Fast | |
| Complexity: | Low | |
| Trios per color: | 3 | |
| Number of colors: | 2 | |
| - - - - - - Other equipment - - - - - - | ||
| Three-by-three grid (or part of a chessboard) | ||
| Setup time: | 2 minutes | |
| Playing time: | 5 - 15 minutes | |
| Strategy depth: | Medium | |
| Random chance: | None | |
| Game mechanics: | Placement | |
| BGG Link: | Martian Tic-Tac-Toe | |
| Status: Complete (v1.0), Year released: 2000 | ||
An Icehouse game designed by Chris Goodwin.
For two players
What you need[edit | edit source]
Two stashes of Icehouse pieces, each consisting of three pieces of each size of one color. Three Treehouse sets will get you the pieces you need.
Additional Equipment: A three-by-three tic-tac-toe grid. Make sure it is big enough to hold the large pieces.
Playing Time[edit | edit source]
5-15 minutes
Overview[edit | edit source]
This is Tic-Tac-Toe as it might have been played thousands of years ago on Mars.
Setup[edit | edit source]
Each player starts with a stash consisting of three small pieces, three medium pieces, and three large pieces, all of one color.
Playing the game[edit | edit source]
Players take turns making moves. On each player's first turn, that player must place a small piece into a square. After that, on his or her turn, each player may make one of the following moves:
Place a small piece from your stash into an empty square.
Swap one of your pieces in play with a piece from your stash (up to one size larger or any size smaller). Put the swapped-out piece back in your stash.
Capture an opponent's piece. Replace one of your opponent's pieces in play with a piece from your stash. The capturing piece must be exactly one size larger (no more, no less) than the captured piece. Return the captured piece to the opponent's stash.
Winning[edit | edit source]
A player wins when he or she has three pieces in a row horizontally, vertically, or diagonally (forming a straight line) of the same size and of his or her color.
Variations[edit | edit source]
Use a larger board. Try a four-by-four, five-by-five, or eight-by-eight (chessboard) grid. If using a four-by-four grid, use four pieces of each size per color, and win with four in a row of one size of your color; on a five-by-five grid or larger, use all five pieces of each size per color, and win with five in a row of one size of your color.
Multiplayer. Play this on a checkers or chess board. Martian Tic-Tac-Toe can be played with three or four players. It is suggested to use all of the pieces of each color on a larger board.
Designed by Chris Goodwin. Playtested (so far) by Chris and Lisa Goodwin, Dan and Marsha Brussee. Blindtested by Kory Heath and friends.
License[edit | edit source]
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, 543 Howard Street, 5th Floor, San Francisco, California, 94105, USA.