Bramble

(The sliding cubes game)

Players: 2 - 6

Time: ~10 minutes per round

Complexity: 2/10

Setup

• This game requires:

  • • The bag of 216 CubeRoots cubes

    • A rectangular table which is at least 1 metre long, with a surface which the cubes will slide along.

• Each player selects a colour they will play as and finds ten cubes with one of each of the numbers from 0 to 9 in their chosen colour.

• Place two of the wildcubes three-quarters of the way along each of the longest edges of the table.  These mark the scoring zone on the table, any cube completely past the line of these cubes is in the scoring zone.

Aim of the game

• The winner is the player who has accumulated the most points at the end of the game.

• Points are scored by the cubes which are in the scoring zone at the end of each round.

• A cube in the scoring zone scores the number of points on the top of the cube for the colour of that side of the cube. e.g. if a cube in the scoring zone has a red 7 on the top, 7 points would be scored for the red team.

How to play

• Before the first round, randomly decide a player order for the game. A full game consists of the same number of rounds as there are players, so each player will go first once according to the playing order decided. 

  • • e.g. for a four player game, the player order for each round would be:

      • • Round 1: Player 1 → Player 2 → Player 3 → Player 4

        • Round 2: Player 2 → Player 3 → Player 4 → Player 1

        • Round 3: Player 3 → Player 4 → Player 1 → Player 2

        • Round 4: Player 4 → Player 1 → Player 2 → Player 3

• The first player may choose any of their cubes and attempts to slide this cube into the scoring zone, whilst keeping their colour on the top of the cube. 

• The next player then selects a cube and attempts to either slide this cube into the scoring zone and/or knock into the other player's cube to knock it out of the scoring zone.

• Each player takes their turn in order, selecting one of their cubes to slide, aiming to maximise their own total score in the scoring zone (and perhaps minimizing the score of their oppponents at the same time!)

• This continues until all players have used all ten of their cubes and the scores can then be counted.

• Any cube that is in the scoring zone at the end of the round scores the number of points on the top of the cube, for the team of the colour on top of the cube.

• If a cube has flipped over to a colour that is not being played, then no team gets that score. 

Add up the scores and start the next round.

• After the final round, the player with the highest total score is the winner.

Possible alternative rules

• If you would like a shorter or longer game, you can change the number of rounds, or the number of cubes each player starts with.

• You can also change the shape and size of the scoring zone, for example by:

  • • moving the wildcubes to a different place on the table

    • using more wildcubes and making a different shaped scoring zone

    • using chalk/pen/tape to mark the scoring zone

• If you do not have a rectangular table, you can improvise a scoring zone and play regardless.

• 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!