Override
| Override | ||
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| Designed by Kat Costa | ||
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| A two-player game where pieces are individually owned but mutually controlled | ||
| Players: | 2 - 2 | |
| Length: | Fast | |
| Complexity: | Low | |
| Trios per color: | 5 | |
| Number of colors: | 2 | |
| - - - - - - Other equipment - - - - - - | ||
| 5x5 grid | ||
| Setup time: | 2 minutes | |
| Playing time: | 5 minutes - 15 minutes | |
| Strategy depth: | High | |
| Random chance: | None | |
| Game mechanics: | Perfect information, Placement | |
| Theme: | Abstract | |
| BGG Link: | Override | |
| Status: Complete (v1.0), Year released: 2019 | ||
Override[edit | edit source]
Overview[edit | edit source]
Override is a five-in-a-row game for two players where pieces are individually owned but mutually controlled. The goal is to get five pyramids of your color in a straight line, orthogonally or diagonally.
Materials[edit | edit source]
- Two monochrome stashes
- A 5×5 grid
| Materials Needed |
If you have Pyramid Arcade, simply play with two similar colors, such as Cyan and Blue against Orange and Red.
Setup[edit | edit source]
Place all pieces next to the board such that each of the 30 pyramids is accessible to both players.
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Play[edit | edit source]
Each turn, a player may take one action.
- Place a piece of either color onto an empty square the board (except the center square), or
- Pick up a piece of either color that is already on the board and move it one space orthogonally, either to an empty space or on top of any smaller piece.
Rules[edit | edit source]
- The top pyramid of any nested stack determines what color the whole stack is counted as.
- Pyramids that are currently covered up (by either color) may not be moved. If you can't touch it without lifting something out of the way first, you can't move it. Sliding of multiple nested pieces is not allowed.
- The center square is special: a pyramid may only be moved into it from an adjacent space, never from the supply.
- Players may not undo an opponent's last move.
- If the active player makes a move that simultaneously creates a five-in-a-row line for both players, the active player wins.
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Edge Cases and Reminders[edit | edit source]
- No piece is ever "captured" / taken off the board once placed.
- There is no separate placement phase. As early as the second turn, players may freely choose to ignore the pieces in the supply and move those pyramids already on the board. Half the game can go by with unused pieces still in the supply.
- Remember, pyramids placed onto the board from the supply may not immediately cover up any pyramid already on the board. They must be placed into a blank space.
- If a player moves a pyramid to uncover a five-in-a-row for her opponent and, in the same turn, places the piece she picked up to successfully create a five-in-a-row for herself, the active player wins.
- If a player moves a pyramid to uncover a five-in-a-row for his opponent and plays the piece he picked up anywhere other than to create an immediate five-in-a-row win for himself, then he has just caused his opponent to win. Mocking should ensue.
- Override is not intended to be a memory game. Players may check at any time which smaller pyramids are underneath any larger pyramid. It is recommended to use transparent, contrasting colors so both players can easily see the board state.
Strategy[edit | edit source]
- Large pyramids are the strongest pieces in the game since they cannot be covered up. You should therefore think carefully about where to place them.
- Keep an eye on your opponent's pieces and be ready to push one of their pieces out of line or cover one up in order to prevent a five-in-a-row.
- Although you are allowed to place your opponent's pieces onto the board from the supply, this rarely happens: it gives them more coverage at the cost of a move for you. However, it can be advantageous to place an opponent's last large piece in some undesirable location to prevent their using it right away.
- Covering up your own pieces with your own color can strengthen your position in crucial places, as your opponent may conclude that it's too much trouble to spend multiple moves trying to oust you from that location.