Katamino Tower
Katamino Tower Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Introduction
KATAMINO TOWER is a logic game where you have to build a tower of a certain height using a set number of pieces.
There are 15 unique shapes in 2 categories: Pentominoes and rings. Each of the 5 colors includes 2 pentominoes and 1 ring.
- A pentomino is a shape made up of 5 cubes.
- A ring has a central circle that slides onto the base and 2 outer blocks around it.
Contents
10 pentominoes in 5 colors, 5 rings in 5 colors, 1 game base, 40 Expert challenge cards, rules.
1- BEGINNER MODE - for 1 player
The beginner mode is designed to guide you through playing KATAMINO TOWER while gradually increasing the difficulty.
Note: The 15 pieces of the game are divided into 5 sets of 3 blue, 3 yellow, 3 green, 3 red and 3 pink pieces. Each set consists of 2 pentominoes and 1 central ring of the same color.
Start by building a tower with two levels, using the yellow and blue pieces (see picture 3). Once you've done this, take the tower apart, add in the three green pieces, and attempt a tower with three levels. Continue to follow the instructions for towers with four and five levels.
Picture 3 shows you which colors to use to build a tower in Beginner mode, and gives you the total number of different solutions.
2- EXPERT MODE - for 1 player
Now you have enough experience to attempt a bigger challenge.
Start by practicing with the 40 Expert cards provided.
In Expert mode, the colors no longer matter, unlike in Beginner mode. The cards tell you which pieces to use and how tall the tower should be. The solution is on the back of the card. If needed, you can build the tower by using the letters and colors shown.
Note: The pentominoes have been given letters that relate to their shapes, and the rings have been numbered according to the distance between their outer blocks.
Expert card layout (front): a difficulty level, a card number, the challenge number (for example "Challenge 20"), the tower height (for example "3 Lvl 3"), and the "Shapes to use" list of piece letters (for example Y, N, Q, I, W, U). The solution is on the back.
3- COOPERATIVE MODE - for 2 players
In this game mode, players must work together to score as many points as possible.
You score points for each complete level.
A complete level (without any holes) scores you 1 point. If the level directly after that is complete too, it scores you 1 bonus point. If the level directly after that is complete, too, it scores you 2 bonus points and so on.
Example: You complete 3 levels in a row, then do not complete your penultimate level, but finish with a complete level. You score 1 point + 2 points + 3 points + 0 points + 1 point, which gives you a total of 7 points.
A perfect tower would score 15 points: 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 points.
The players take turns to choose one of the 15 game pieces and bring it into play. Play the pieces as usual, placing the rings around the pillar and the pentominoes on the outside.
The pieces must 'fall' from the top and then may be moved sideways to fill the gaps. However, once a piece has been played, it can no longer be moved.
The players can discuss which pieces to play before choosing one.
Solution Counts
You can see below that there can be a huge number of solutions, depending on how many pieces you use. Once you've completed the first 40 challenges, try to find some combinations of your own.
- 2 levels, 6 pieces (2 rings, 4 pentominoes): 46 solutions
- 3 levels, 9 pieces (3 rings, 6 pentominoes): 4,588 solutions
- 4 levels, 12 pieces (4 rings, 8 pentominoes): 27,176 solutions
- 5 levels, 15 pieces (5 rings, 10 pentominoes): 12,328 solutions
You can download blank card templates from our website. Note down the solutions you find so that you don't forget them!