Board Game Ideas

The game proposal of the day has been created by ColonelCrockett and Retep, and the intention of this variant is to bring new ideas and possibilities to the classic Jungle game and make it less "drawish".

The idea for a jungle variant is pretty simple. The "hierarchy" of jungle pieces is the same as in regular jungle except that the board will be bigger and more pieces added (see the screenshot). The new board is 9x9 (adding a file on either side of the existing board). The extra pieces follow the "zigzag" placement pattern to be at either end of the second and eighth rank.

The two new pieces are the monkey and the snake. The monkey is just above the cat in the hierarchy of animals but moves like a chess king. The monkey is on a player’s left (elephant side for either player). Once the new ranks are added to either side of the jungle board that would put a white monkey on a2 and a black one on i8. The Snake is at the opposite end of the 8 and 2 rank from the monkey. (a8 and i2 on the new board). It moves like a Silver General in Shogi (i.e. diagonally a singly square and forward a single square). His place in the hierarchy of animals is between the dog and leopard.

To compensate for the larger board two water squares are added … one at each end of the 5th rank (a5 and i5 on the 9x9 board).

And, as usual, comments are welcome.

According to our experience from the past, it seems that introducing new games invented by BrainKing users is not a good idea if those games were not thoroughly tested and discussed first. It is always a difficult job to change rules of already released games, not to mention the necessity to modify all 20 translations of the former rules description.

And it is the reason why I have just created a new article category, called Board Game Ideas. It should be a good opportunity for everyone to post comments or suggestions to all new game proposals which we want to publish here, in order to pinpoint possible unbalances and similar problems, before the game implementation work is actually started.

The first entry to this category introduces a proposal of three Ludo variants, suggested by Michael Coan:

• Ludo Variant #1: (since "faster" games seem to be very popular)
  
  Name Idea: Ludo Express
  
  Same board and pieces as regular Ludo.
  
  Get out of start with either a 1 or a 6.
  
  Roll 2 dice each turn. Each turn, 2 dice rolled. (doubles are nothing special)
  
  Each dice is separate. Like Backgammon, you first make a move with Dice #1 – then make a move with Dice #2 (or swap and move first with Dice #2, then Dice #1 – order is up to player) You can move the same piece twice, OR move 2 different pieces – 1 with each die
  
  So for example, first turn of the game, you roll a 1 & 6 – you have 2 options. Use the "1" to get out of start, and then use the "6" to move 6 spaces – or use the "6" to get our of start, and then use the "1" to move 1 space.
  
  You can split the dice up between different men. You can use the "1" to get a piece out, and use "6" on a different piece on the board.
  
  NOTE: If you own man is sitting on your "start space", you have to move it BEFORE you can get another piece out of the board.
  
  If you can move – you have to move. (only pass if you have no move) Plus it is possible to move with 1 die, and then pass the other if there is no move with that one.
  
  The rest are the same rules as regular Ludo.


• Ludo Variant #2:
  
  Name Idea: Ludo Strategy
  
  Same board and pieces as regular ludo. 2 main differences:
  
  1. You can place your piece on top of another one of your own pieces to form a "block". This "block" will block the board an NO pieces (yours or opponents) can move past the block. To get rid of the block, you simple move the "top" piece from the block just as a regular turn (leaving your bottom piece still sitting there in danger of a capture)
  
  2. You can move forward like normal, or backwards. If you roll something like a 6, then bonus 3 – you must either move a piece forward a total of 9 spaces, or backwards a total of 9 spaces. There is no "splitting" the dice up and going forward 6, then back 3.
  
  NOTE #1: You can NOT move backwards past your starting point. You can move backwards all the way to and on top of the starting spot, but not any further
  
  NOTE #2: You can NOT move backwards out of your own "home" area. Once you enter your home (last 4 ending spots), you can no longer move those pieces backwards.


• Ludo Variant #3:
  
  Name Idea: Ludo Strategy Express
  
  As you can guess, it would be a combination of the 2 variant ideas above. Have the "fast" with the ability to block & move backwards.
  
  The only difference would be because you roll 2 dice each time, you CAN split the forward/backwards decision up. Move with 1 die forward, and then move with another die backwards. (same or different pieces)

Comments are welcome.