Hypergrid
Hypergrid Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
Play-mat, 65 chips (13 pcs in 5 colours), 10+2 markers, reference cards, rules (only 8 coloured dice are used during the game, the 9th is extra, for a future use).
Game Setup
- Each player's starting Reserve: 6 Tokens of each of all 5 Elements (colours).
- Nether Score Locks: Common pile of ready-to-use Line-locking markers (8 pcs).
- Score Points Trackers: one for each player, both showing 0/6 empty side and placed at the 0/16 VP value of the Outer Space circle.
- Nether Blocking Track: One Element Token of each colour (also serves as matching discard piles for 'burned' tokens later) and one blank Nether Element Block (transparent marker).
Elements and their powers:
- Red Fire Burns
- Yellow Air Blows
- Blue Water Whirls
- Green Earth Shakes
- Purple Aether Transforms
Five colours match five ELEMENTS with their POWERS. You shall master them all! ...and beware of the anti-element Nether.
Game Flow
Choose the starting player that will use the white score points tracker, the other uses the black one.
Players take turns. On their turn, each player places two (2) Element Tokens from their own Reserve onto the Grid and eventually uses their powers in order to create as many new lines as possible - each giving 1 Victory Point (VP) cumulatively - or try to prevent opponent from creating lines on their following turn.
Note: once a Token is placed onto the Grid, it becomes "free for all to manipulate" later during the game.
The victor of a duel has more VPs at the end of the game. The game ends at the start of a turn of any player, on which the player has zero (0) tokens in their Reserve to place onto the Grid in accordance with the rules (no unblocked Element).
Grid & Goals
GRID: 9 (3x3) possible positions to place Element Tokens, piling them up - creating PILLARS - while their uppermost colour (VISIBLE ELEMENTS) matter, but not their height which is never limited.
Empty spot is never considered a Pillar (single Token is already a Pillar).
The Grid positions are numbered 1 2 3 / 4 5 6 / 7 8 9.
NEW LINE: 3 Tokens of the same colour become visible by any means, forming a straight LINE on the Grid (visible is the uppermost token on its Pillar). There are 8 unique scoring possibilities on the Grid (three rows, three columns, two diagonals).
IMPORTANT: Single Pillar/Element can score for two or even more unique Lines at the same time!
Element Token placed on the corner Grid positions can be a part of 3 different Lines at a time; Mid-edge Pillar of the Grid can be scoring for 2 Lines and Element placed onto the central position can score for up to 4 Lines.
Note: Each line ends with two outer-spaces surrounding the Grid. This circle of spaces helps to keep the track of the score and hosts the Nether Score Locks during the game.
Player's Turn
Only on the very first turn of the game the starting (white) player: Place one (1) Element Token (any Element from own reserve can be used) anywhere on the Grid and then Block that Element as a result. Place Nether Block onto the respective colour of the Nether locking Track and then the opponent's turn starts.
The second and any following turn of the game: The Player may perform any of the following actions A, B, C multiple times during their turn, while action 'A.' (Token Placement) must always be taken twice (2x) per turn, if possible.
A. Token Placement
Place one (1) token of any unblocked Element from own reserve onto any spot on the Grid, OR - if there is already a Pillar there - the placed token goes on top of the other token(s) as visible.
There are no restrictions on token placement as long as it is on the top - a player always has all 9 Grid positions where to place an unblocked Element. The HEIGHT of the Pillar has no limit.
The Element (colour) that the player just placed is now blocked and the Element previously blocked becomes unblocked. Relocate immediately the Nether Block onto the respective Element (of the Nether Blocking Track) to indicate this status.
IMPORTANT: Always remember this golden rule: Same Element (colour) can never be placed subsequently, twice in a row, regardless of change of players' turns.
B. Elemental Effect
If a token is placed (from a player's Reserve) onto a stack of two or more (2+) tokens (regardless of the colour of the tokens it is placed onto), then the active player may activate the effect of the placed Element - this is not mandatory.
IMPORTANT: Always remember this silver rule: Only the third or higher token can activate its Elemental Effect!
Note: Each of the two placements (A.) of a player during their turn (usually later in the game) may allow the player to use the Elemental Effects (B.); to the contrary, on the few starting turns of the game both players are taking action A. only, as Pillars have not yet reached their potential of two tokens to activate the Effect.
C. Scoring
Gain 1 VP for each newly-created straight line of 3 visible Elements of the same kind (i.e. colours) at any time during the turn, then Lock that newly-created line.
This sequence must always be followed:
I. Line must be unlocked for a given colour in order to gain a Victory Point - there must not be a Nether locking that line for scoring (otherwise it indicates that this is not a newly-created line, even if such token placement is in accordance with the rules).
IMPORTANT: SCORING takes place each time a line of three matching Elements is created at any time during a player's turn - after token placement, during an Elemental effect (important for the Air Element Effect, see examples), AND after the execution of the effect.
II. Line Locking: Immediately after scoring, a Nether Lock die must be placed face-up with the colour of the scoring Element in order to lock the newly-created Elementic Line. The Nether Lock can be placed on any of the two ends of the locked line on the "outer space circle", preferably out of the way of the Score Tracker(s) moving clockwise.
Note: It may happen that all eight Nether Locks are used at the same time, meaning each Line is locked for a certain colour.
III. Line Unlocking: After token placement or after the Elemental Effect execution, at any time later on during the game, the Nether Score Lock must be immediately removed from a locked line if the last one (1) of the Element tokens on that line matches the color of the Nether Lock (i.e the two other Pillars are gone or changed their visible colour).
IMPORTANT: Pay attention when unlocking a line (after each token placement and after Elemental Effect, but not during the effect). More experienced players will be closely watching to remove Locks!
Place them back to the common pile. Never mistake them with the Nether Block die that keeps track of the currently-blocked Element.
Score track: After scoring, players must advance their score tracker clock-wise around the outer spaces of the board accordingly in order to display how many Victory Points they have. Each point is worth advancing by one space.
Any time a player's score tracker enters the starting position (0/16) VP later during the game, that player's score tracker die is flipped to show the new value increased by +1 (thus, each completed lap is worth 16 points, e.g. score tracking die showing "2" means 32VP in addition to the current tracker value on the outer space circle).
"A-B-C" Example
Black player's #2 placement: Air is placed on Pillar 4 and blocked immediately. New yellow line 6 created and Locked. Line 6 is scored +1VP.
Air Power: Visible token of Air is blown from Pillar 3 while new blue line 5 is created and Locked. Line 5 is scored +1VP. Blown Air is placed on Pillar 1 so new yellow line 1 is created and Locked. Line 1 is scored +1VP.
Nether line 3 Lock is removed. Black score tracker moved by 3 outer space positions; from 2VP to 5VP.
Elemental Effects
REACH (applies to an activated effect of an Element token): Within Reach is the same OR orthogonally or diagonally adjacent Pillar/Element to the position of the Element token just placed from the Reserve. Different Grid positions have different number of possible Pillars (with their tokens) within Reach.
In addition, "the Grid" is defined as "all 9 Pillars with their tokens".
- a. Element placed on the corner Grid positions has 4 Pillars within Reach, with all of their Element tokens (including itself).
- b. Mid-edge of the Grid has 6 Pillars within reach.
- c. Element placed onto the central position has the whole Grid in the area of its effect.
(The "full-moon" circles on the Grid graphics refer to the Reach principle.)
Each Elemental Effect is applicable only if the Element was placed (from Reserve) onto at least 2 tokens!
Placing a token on an empty spot or onto a single token doesn't have the required height, while a Pillar with two or more tokens does. It is crucial to remember that the Effect of the placed Element can be used only if it is placed third or higher on the Pillar.
As a symbolic reference on the graphics of the Grid, there are three layers of quasi-circular shapes surrounding each empty spot while only the third is connected fluently to adjacent Grid positions by extending its curves...
Note: If, as a result of any Elemental Effect, any Token becomes visible, its Elemental Effect is not applicable; it can only be activated if placed from Reserve.
ANY Element Really Means ANY - the top one, the bottom one, or any in between within a Pillar, including a token just placed; within Reach or further on the Grid (due to Effect requirements) but never a discarded Element token or an Element in the players' Reserves.
During the effect, no Nether Score Lock is removed.
List of Powers
Red Fire Burns
Burn any ONE Element token on the Grid that is within reach of the Fire token just placed.
Remove the burned token from the play and place it onto the respective discard pile of the Nether Block Track (never in the player's Reserve). Token of Fire can burn itself, same as any other within reach.
Green Earth Shakes
Within reach of the Earth token just placed, relocate the bottom Element token onto the top of its Pillar OR flip that whole Pillar upside down (i.e. reverse the order of Element tokens).
The bottom Element has no token beneath. The relocated Element must stay on its Pillar. Both options turn the bottom Element token into the visible one - the uppermost on its Pillar. Relocated Token can cover the token of the Earth Element just placed.
Yellow Air Blows
Relocate any one Element token from the Grid onto any other Pillar that is within reach of the position of the Air token just placed.
The relocated token can be ANY token from the whole Grid, but it must change its Pillar and is placed on top of a new Pillar. The new Pillar must be within reach of the Pillar onto which Air was placed - Air can blow itself onto another adjacent Pillar. The relocated token can cover the token of the Air Element just placed. Relocated token cannot be placed onto empty spot - it is not a Pillar.
Blue Water Whirls
Swap any two Pillars on the Grid - place one whole Pillar instead of another one, and vice versa.
Tokens do not change their order within the swapped Pillars. Neither of the two Pillars has to be within reach of the Water token just placed, but its Pillar can be one of the swapped Pillars.
Purple Aether Transforms
Take any one Element token - different than Aether - that is within reach of Aether token just placed, and place it in your Reserve.
The taken token can be any token BUT Aether (purple colour), and must be within Reach.
Any Element really means ANY - the top one, the bottom one or any in between within a Pillar, also the token just placed!
Within Reach is the same OR adjacent Element/Pillar to the position of the Element Token just placed from Reserve.
Examples
Score each time a new Line is created on a player's turn by any means:
a. Player places Element of Water in a way it creates a line (+1VP) and locks it; then two Pillars are swapped, while one of them is the recently scoring one, in a way it creates yet another line elsewhere (+1VP). Scoring took place after token placement and after its effect execution, and results in the earlier line being composed of only two out of three Pillars with locked colour visible on the line.
b. Player places the Element of Air (as the third on its Pillar) in a way it creates a new line (+1VP). Then (as Air effect) an uppermost Element token is taken from another Pillar, so the token beneath it becomes visible and in a Line with two other tokens of the same colour, creating another new line to score. Then the blown Element is relocated onto the Pillar (within reach of the initial Air placement) in a way it creates yet another new line (+1VP). Player gained 3VPs during the "half of the turn".
Important: SCORING takes place each time a line of three matching Elements is created at any time during a player's turn: after token placing, during an Elemental effect and after execution of the effect.
Automatic line unlocking: Player places an Element of Fire onto one of two remaining tokens of a previously scoring colour on the Pillar of a recently locked line. After the Fire token placement, the last locked colour is visible on the given line, so the Nether Score Lock is instantly removed. Then, as Fire was placed third on its Pillar, it burns itself using its power. This results in two tokens of the same colour being visible on the line that is not locked, and can thus be re-created and scored for by the second token placement on the turn eventually.
Important: An unblocked Element token can be placed (for any reason with no restrictions, always having 9 placement options) in a way that it visually "completes" a line which is currently bearing a Nether Lock of the same colour. In that case no VP will be gained. To score, the line must be free of Nether Lock die on its outer space.
Important: Each line with a Nether Lock on its outer space should be carefully checked for Lock removal after each token placement and after Elemental Effects but never during an Elemental Effect.
End of game examples: At the start of a player's turn, their Reserve is:
a. One or more Element tokens of the blocked colour - a blocked Element can never be placed, therefore the game ends.
b. Two or more Tokens of the same unblocked colour - after placing the first one and blocking it, the same cannot be played as it is blocked, so the player's turn ends and the opponent's turn starts.
c. One unblocked Element of Aether - player places it as the third or higher and, using its power, retrieves one token back to the Reserve, which must be placed as the second token of the turn; then the opponent's last turn of the game starts. Should a player not choose to use the Aether power, there is no second placement possible and so the game continues with the opponent's last turn of the game.
The game ends at the start of a turn of any player, on which the player has zero (0) unblocked tokens in their Reserve to place onto the Grid.
Standard turn sequence:
Check if an unblocked Element token can be placed; if not, the game ends (compare players' scores), otherwise:
- (alpha) Place Element token #1 AND block it; Score if new line/s created; Check token placement position with their associated lines* for Nether removal; Execute the effect of the Element just placed if third or higher (score if new line/s created during the effect); Score if new line/s created after effect execution;
- (omega) Check for Nether removal from lines containing Pillar(s) that changed their colour after effect execution.
Check if unblocked Element token can be placed; if not, opponent's turn starts, otherwise: REPEAT (alpha-omega) for Element token #2 placement, then opponent's turn starts.
* Element placed on the corner Grid positions can be a part of 3 different lines; Mid-edge Pillar of the Grid can score for 2 lines and Element placed onto the central position can score for up to 4 lines at a time.
All Rules in Short
Place anywhere (twice*) unblocked Element then Block it. If Placed 3rd or higher it may activate its Effect, mind the REACH. Score +1VP for each NEW line created by any means, and then Lock the line. Lock is later removed when ONLY the last matching Element is visible on the Line.
*On the first turn of the game, the first player places 1 element, not 2.