Box

(The look-around-the-cube game)

Players: 2 - 6

Time: 30 - 60 minutes

Complexity: 4/10

Setup

• This game requires all 216 cubes.

• Each player selects a different colour to play as.

• The 216 cubes are set up randomly in a 6x6x6 cube.

  • • Tip: A quick way of doing this is if half of the players make lines of 6 cubes, and the other half stack these lines into the cube.

Aim of the game

• The winner of the game is the first player to get cubes with the numbers from 0 to 9 (in order) of their own colour, face up, on the table in front of them.

How to play

• Randomly decide who goes first. 

• On a player's go, they may pick one cube that has at least three faces showing and no cubes on top. So, for the very first go, this can only be the four top corners of the large 6x6x6 cube.

• If the selected cube has a 0 of their colour on it, keep it and place it their colour up in front of them. If it is not the 0 of their colour, they must discard it. Each cube taken opens up new possible options.

• Play then progresses to the next player, clockwise around the group. Each player takes it in turns to take one cube with at least three faces showing and no cubes on top of it, aiming to first get the 0 of their colour.

• Once a player gets their 0, then on their next go they are aiming to get the 1 of their own colour, and so on until the first player finds their 9 and is crowned the winner. 

• If the cube selected has the correct number and colour that they are looking for on it, it is added to their face up cubes in front of them on the table.

• If the cube selected does not have the correct number and colour, it must be discarded.

• The blank wildcubes are worthless in this game, if they are chosen they must be discarded.

• Think tactically, remember you can block other players’ progress as well as searching for your next number.

• Once a player has 0 to 9 of their colour face up on the table in front of them, they are crowned the winner.

Possible alternative rules

• To make a longer version of the game, each player could be trying to get:

  • • 0 to 9 of a predetermined multiple number of colours (in order), rather than just one colour, or

    • 0 to 9 of their colour (in order) as many times as they can before all 216 cubes are taken.

• To reduce player movement around the 6x6x6 cube, you could place it on a ‘Lazy Susan’.

• Finished one game? Let the winner make a new rule and play again!

• And, as always, add any other rules you like to have more fun!