BOOoop.
BOOoop. Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Contents
- Quilted fabric game board
- Bed frame (box bottom)
- 8 Witchy Purple Cats
- 8 Witchy Purple Kittens
- 1 Purple Ghost Cat
- 8 Pumpkiny Orange Cats
- 8 Pumpkiny Orange Kittens
- 1 Orange Ghost Cat
Set Up
Empty the contents of the box and place the box bottom, upside down, in the center of the play area. On top of it, place the quilted game board comforter to make the bed.
Players begin the game with 8 Kittens and 1 Ghost Cat of their color, Witchy Purple or Pumpkiny Orange. The 8 Cats of their color begin "out of play" to the far side of the board.
First Player
The player who most recently scared a cat from the room will be the first player - or choose a first player at random.
Object
Take turns placing one of your Kittens onto the bed, in any open space available (stitched squares).
Graduate your Kittens into Cats by lining up three of your pieces in a row, horizontally, vertically or diagonally.
Then line up 3 of your Cats in a row to WIN the game!
But it isn't that simple… especially with ghosts on the board!
"Booping"
Lining up a row of three of your pieces isn't easy because when a piece is added to the board it "boops" all of the pieces adjacent to it, pushing them one space away, including diagonally.
Adding a Kitten doesn't always create a line of three. Instead, anything adjacent is pushed one space away.
"boop" or "meow" sound effects are encouraged when you boop. :)
A piece can be booped right off the bed, in which case it is returned to the owner's pool of pieces.
Pieces can be pushed right off the bed! No secondary chain reactions occur.
A booped piece does not cause a chain reaction when it moves into a new space. Other pieces it moves towards do not move away in reaction.
When any two pieces are already in a line on the board, another piece played into that line cannot push those pieces. This is true regardless of colors of the pieces. (Of course, they CAN be booped from other directions.)
Setting up a line of two and defending against it is an important strategy.
So, breaking up or blocking your opponent's line of two is key.
Graduating Kittens Into Cats
After booping, check to see if you have 3 Kittens in a row. Getting three of your Kittens lined up in a row, horizontally, vertically or diagonally, graduates all three into Cats.
Remove the Kittens from the board - and out of the game. (Place them in the box lid. Kittens love boxes). Then, replace those pieces with adult Cats from the reserve and place them into your pool of pieces (not onto the board). You will ALWAYS have 8 active pieces.
You can even make a line of both Cats AND Kittens.
Alternatively, if all 8 of your pieces are on the bed, you may graduate any one Kitten, by removing it from the game and placing a Cat from reserve into your pool, or, should it be strategically important, you could place a Cat back into your pool, instead of graduating a Kitten. You do this at the end of your turn, after booping.
In the rare case if lining up more than three in a row, or multiple connected 3's, choose which group of 3 to graduate, leaving the remaining pieces on the board. Likewise, if you have both a three in a row and eight pieces on the board, choose which you would activate.
When your move creates more than one opportunity to graduate pieces, choose one of them. Remove those pieces from the board, leaving the others in place.
Cats
Once you have adult Cats in your pool, you may choose to play either a Cat or a Kitten on your turn. Cats work the same way as Kittens in all respects, except that Cats CANNOT be booped by Kittens. However, Cats can boop other Cats, as well as Kittens.
When you line up 3 of your pieces with combination of Cats and Kittens, you still remove all three pieces from the board and graduate any Kittens. The Cats in the group go to your pool, as do any newly graduated Cats.
It's okay if Cats are part of your line of three. Remove all three from the board. Both the Kittens graduate into Cats - and are placed, along with the Cat from your line up, into your pool.
Ghost Cats
Each player has one Ghost Cat in their pool. Ghost Cats behave very differently than any other piece.
Placement: Ghost Cats do not occupy spaces. Instead, Ghost Cats are placed on, and move along, the stitching BETWEEN spaces!
A player may choose to place their Ghost Cat at the END of their turn, after playing their piece and resolving any Boops. It is never mandatory to place your Ghost Cat. You can wait until you devise an interesting plan.
When you place a Ghost Cat, choose any stitch leading onto the board from any edge. Place the Ghost Cat on the stitching between the two spaces. Do not place on the edges.
Important: When a Ghost Cat is first placed, it simply "appears" on the board, but does not affect any pieces it may be adjacent to.
Ghost Cats enter play between 2 spaces along any edge. Ghost Cats are one directional, and move across the board one stitch at a time, until they leave the board.
Movement: Once on the board, a player's Ghost Cat will MOVE automatically at the end of that player's turn, one stitch forward towards the opposite side of the board. Ghost Cats cannot turn, change direction or be removed once they have been placed. When they reach the edge of the board, their next move will return them to that player's pool. A player cannot place a Ghost Cat the same turn that it returned.
Boop: When a Ghost Cat MOVES into a stitch between two spaces, it will boop Kittens and Cats of ANY color one space away. It does not boop diagonally.
BOOO!: When a Ghost Cat would boop a piece, but would normally be unable because another piece or pieces are directly behind it, the Ghost Cat scares that piece overtop of the blocking pieces to the next open space on the board - or off the bed completely if there are no spaces available!
IMPORTANT: If a Ghost Cat effect causes your OPPONENT to line up three in a row on your turn, your opponent's pieces don't graduate right away. However, if they remain in a row at the end of your opponent's turn, including their own Ghost Cat's possible effects — then, they may graduate the pieces. A player may still only graduate once per turn.
Here, But Not Here
Ghost Cats are scary, sure, but they are not physically present on the board. They're ghosts! This means the Ghost Cats cannot block Cats and Kittens in any way.
- You can create a three in a row, right through a Ghost Cat, even if it belongs to your opponent. Treat it like it isn't there.
- Ghost Cats can't be booped by anything.
- Ghost Cats cannot become part of a two-piece block. They don't fill a space. So, Cats and Kittens can be booped right through them.
- And if a Ghost Cat would land on another Ghost Cat's stitch, they simply pass through to the next open stitch. They do not boop or BOOO! the spaces adjacent to the other Ghost Cat, only when they arrive onto their own stitch.
Ghosts pass through each other without effect. Boop or BOOO! only on the stitch they land on.
Winning
When you line up three of your Cats in a row, horizontally, vertically or diagonally, you WIN. Alternatively, a player can WIN by having all 8 of their Cats on the bed at the end of a turn.
IMPORTANT: Only check for a WIN after all booped pieces complete their movement.
Notes for Clever Cats
The center four squares of the board can be more powerful, as they are furthest from the edge making it harder to push your pieces off the board. However, don't be afraid of pushing your own Kittens / Cats off the bed. It might be strategic to put them back into your pool for subsequent plays.
Two pieces in a row is one way to set up a line of three. But you can also try a sneakier way setting up an L shaped pattern - and booping your piece into the center!
When you have Cats, be mindful of placing them ALL on the bed, especially if you opponent has none. Since Kittens can't push them, they will be stuck in place.
FAQ
Is BOOoop. an expansion for original boop.? No, it's a standalone game.
What if the Ghost Cat would move to an occupied stitch? Move the Ghost Cat to the next available stitch.
Can I choose where my Ghost Cat moves? No. Once a Ghost Cat is placed, it is moved forwards only.
What is the goal of the game? Get 3 adult Cats in a row or all 8 Cats on the bed at the same time to win.
Can Kittens boop Cats? No. Adult Cats can only be booped by other Cats.
Can I graduate Kittens if the row of three contains adult Cats? Yes. Kittens graduate as normal, Cats go back to your pool.
Which row of 3 to graduate? If you manage to get multiple rows of 3, choose any one row of 3 to graduate.
Can I choose where a piece is moved when booped? No. A piece is always moved one space away from the Kitten or Cat causing the boop. This can happen horizontally, vertically, or diagonally.
Do my own pieces boop/move my other pieces? Yes. Pieces are moved no matter if they are your own or your opponent's. However, Ghost Cats cannot be booped by anything.
What can I do during my turn? At the beginning you place a Kitten each turn. Once they are graduated into Cats, you can choose to place a Kitten or Cat from your pool of available pieces. If your Ghost Cat isn't already on the bed, you may place it at the end of your turn.
Who goes first? The player who most recently scared a cat from the room will be the first player - or choose a first player at random.
Is BOOoop. for children only? No. BOOoop. is deceptively cute, but surprisingly challenging!
Credits
Designed by Scott Brady
Development: Curt Covert
Graphic Art / Illustration: Curt Covert
Rules Proofreading: Linda Baldwin
Lead Playtesters & Cheerleaders: Nicole Brady, Madison Brady, Kennedy Brady