K3
K3 Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Contents
- 45 pawns in 5 colours (9 of each)
- 6 natural pawns
- 4 white pawns
- 1 bag
- 1 rulebook
1. Setting Up the Base Camp
First build the K3 base camp as a starting point for the ascent to the summit:
- Put all the coloured pawns in the bag (leave out the white and natural pawns).
- Randomly draw 9 pawns from the bag and place them side by side in a line in the middle of the table.
- There must be at least 4 different colours. If there aren't, put all the pawns back in the bag and draw again.
2. Setting Up Your Pyramid
- Determine the total number of pawns you need by referencing the table on the next page.
Set aside your white and natural pawns, then take turns drawing 3 coloured pawns from the bag. Pass the bag to your neighbor and continue taking turns drawing until everyone has their total number of coloured pawns.
- In a 3-player game, set aside 1 additional white pawn. It will be taken by one of the players as the game progresses (see Elimination). Any unused pawns are put back in the box.
- Arrange and stack all your pawns in a pyramid in front of you, making them overlap. K3 is a programming game. After the first game, you'll fully understand just how much the way your pyramid is set up will affect your strategy.
How many pawns you need and how large your pyramid should be depends on the number of players. See the table on the next page.
Note: for a 4-player game, leave your white pawn next to your pyramid. Its use will be explained later.
| Number of players | Pawns per player | Size of pyramid base |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 2 white pawns, 2 natural pawns, 17 coloured pawns | 6 pawns |
| 3 | 1 white pawn, 2 natural pawns, 12 coloured pawns | 5 pawns |
| 4 | 1 white pawn, 1 natural pawn, 9 coloured pawns | 4 pawns |
3. Start of the Game
The first person to finish building their pyramid starts the game. Then take turns clockwise.
How to Play
On your turn, you must take a pawn from your pyramid. You can:
- Take a coloured pawn and place it on K3.
- Take a natural pawn and place it on K3. It is wild and represents any color.
- Take a white pawn: remove it from your pyramid, set it aside, and end your turn. Each white pawn can only be used once per game.
To take and place a pawn, you must follow these rules:
- You can take a pawn from your pyramid if it is accessible, i.e. if no other pawn is on top of it.
- Pawns you place on K3 must always sit on top of 2 other pawns.
- Coloured pawns must always be placed on top of at least one pawn of the same colour, or a natural pawn. A natural pawn can be placed on top of any pawn. Careful: placing a pawn on top of 2 pawns of the same colour (coloured or natural) results in a penalty (see Penalty).
- You can only place 1 pawn per turn.
Penalty
Placing your pawn on 2 pawns of the same colour results in a penalty. The next player clockwise who has not yet been eliminated chooses one of your accessible pawns and places it next to their pyramid. It becomes part of their accessible pawns for the rest of the game and can be placed on K3 during a future turn, or taken by an opponent to resolve a future penalty.
Note: in a 4-player game, the white pawn next to your pyramid is also accessible and can be taken to resolve a penalty.
Elimination
On your turn, if you can no longer play (either by placing a pawn or by ending your turn with a white pawn), you are eliminated from the game.
In a 3-player game, the player to the right of the first person eliminated takes the white pawn that was set aside at the beginning of the game. This pawn is placed next to their pyramid and is part of their accessible pawns for future turns.
End of the Game
The game ends when there is only 1 player left. The last player in the game wins, even if they can't play on their turn, since all other players were eliminated before their turn started.
Note: it is possible that K3 is fully built, but the players still have pawns. In this case, on your next turn, add your pawn to either end of the K3 base camp and continue playing as normal.
It is hard to resist the call of the mountains: chances are you will want to climb K3 again. No matter how many times you climb, remember to leave no trace and keep the mountain as clean as possible.
Cooperative Variant
In the cooperative variant, you are part of the same climbing expedition. You have to reach the summit of K3 together. If you place the last pawn on top of K3, your ascent is finished and you win! But if even one player is eliminated from the game, the trek was too dangerous and you lose.
Play with the same rules as above: on your turn, place one of your accessible pawns. However, discuss and work out the best strategy together from the start, and remember the penalties for swapping pawns during the game! Will you all reach the summit? In a rope team, no one is left behind! Good luck!