Object of the game:
To get a row of 4 connected tiles of your own color on the playing field (either horizontal or vertical) With 4 players, the object is to have 3 tiles in a row. To win, only the color of the tiles is important, the icons on the tiles are not relevant.

The tiles:
The tiles have dots and icons. The dots determine where new tiles can be placed during the game. The icons (’+’ or ‘x’) are used to capture an opponents tiles. There are two sorts of icons, black and white.

Setup:
Each player chooses a color, takes all (20) tiles of that color and places them in front of him/her on the table. This is the supply, and these tiles should always be visible to all players during the game. Note: In a 4 player game, it is important that players who play consecutively do not both play with black or with white icons (see ‘capturing tiles’ to find out why). In a 2 player game, one plays with black icons, the other with white icons.

The player who is the most confused, starts the game by choosing one of the tiles from his/her supply and placing it in the centre of the table. This is now the playing field.

Turn sequence:
Each turn, a player takes 1 tile from his/her supply and connects it to the tiles already on the playing field. the rules for connecting are: At least 1 half dot must always be made a whole dot, and you may not obstruct a dot by connecting an empty side of a tile to it. After connecting a tile, the turn passes to the player on the left. If a player can’t place a tile, this player skips a turn. If none of the players can play a tile anymore, the game ends in a draw.

Capturing tiles:
By connecting a tile, a player can simultaneously capture 1 or more of an opponents tiles (Theoretically, it is possible to capture 4 tiles in one turn). You need 2 tiles with the same icons to capture other tiles, the white icons can only capture tiles with black icons and vice versa. The color of the tiles involved in a capture is not important (so in a 4 player game, you can work together to capture tiles).

The ‘+’ captures tiles horizontally and vertically. Using a ‘+’ to capture tiles is only possible if there is just 1 tile distance between the 2 tiles that make the capture. By placing tile nr. 3, tile nr. 2 is captured. If tile nr. 1 had an ‘x’ icon, nothing would have happened.

The ‘x’ captures tiles diagonally Using an ‘x’ to capture tiles is only possible if the ‘x’ is connected so that it touches the corner of the other ‘x’ involved in making the capture. By connecting tile nr. 3, tile nr. 2 is captured. Note that if the spot marked with a ‘B’ would be occupied by any tile with a white icon, then this tile would also be captured. If tile nr. 1 had a ‘+’ icon, nothing would have happened.

The numbers on the tiles represent the order in which the tiles were played.
‘?’ = The icon is white, but for the capture it is not relevant if it’s a ‘+’ or an ‘x’.

Captured tiles are removed from the playing field and are put aside (you don’t get them back). The rest of the tiles on the playing field stays in place. The empty spot left by a capture is harmless, a tile does not get captured automatically by placing it there.

When confused, try to remember: Color is for getting a row, dots are for connecting, icons are for capturing.

© 2005 Symbiose. Symbiose does not approve of drug use or abuse, nor is it the intention of Symbiose to support the use of any drug. Play it, don’t use it.