Cambio
Cambio Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Object of the Game
The game consists of lining up FIVE identical symbols horizontally, vertically or diagonally.
[Diagram: three example boards, each showing a winning line of five identical symbols.]
Setup
Place the 25 dice at random on the game board. Observe which are the 4 symbols that repeat the most and leave them on the game board. Exchange the remaining symbols, making sure that these symbols now appear at least 5 times each. Avoid forming lines or special shapes.
[Diagram: the board before and after the exchange. Caption: Place the 4 symbols at random.]
After deciding who starts, each player rolls the die to choose the symbol with which he will play. (Roll again if the symbol is not available or if you have the same as your opponent.)
The symbols must now be placed in a certain position so that the game can start fairly.
Suppose player "A" starts and his symbol is the circle, and that of player "B" is the triangle.
[Diagram: the board with the four corner symbols marked. Note printed beside it: No player may start with a symbol that appears on one of the four corners of the game board. No player may start with a symbol that appears on one of the four corners of the game board.]
Player "A" starts with FOUR circles and must not line up more than TWO circles horizontally, vertically or diagonally. If this is the case, player "B" chooses a circle in each row where more than two circles appear and replaces it with a neutral symbol. If after that there are still more than four circles, player "B" chooses the circle or circles he wishes to change into a neutral symbol in order to reduce the circles to a number of four.
If there are fewer than four circles, player "B" must change the neutral symbol or symbols of his choice into CIRCLES to have four circles in total.
[Diagram: player "A" replacing a triangle on the board.]
Player "A" proceeds in the same way for the triangles, EXCEPT that he must change the neutral symbols to obtain FIVE triangles in total.
(The first player has only four symbols and the second has five at the start of the game, so that the player who moves first is not advantaged.)
[Diagram: the finished starting position. Caption: The game can begin.]
The Game
Players play in turn. On his turn, each player chooses a row or a column and places at the beginning of it a die showing his symbol. He thus slides the last die of the row or column off the game board, so that all the dice in the line are aligned.
[Diagrams: placing the circle (a column pushed downward) and placing the triangle (a row pushed to the right).]
WARNING: You are NOT ALLOWED to push off the board any dice that include the opponent's symbol. (Player "A", for example, cannot push a row if there is a triangle at the end of it. He could, however, push a triangle that is at the beginning or middle of a row without sliding it off the board.)
It is only permitted to slide off the board the neutral dice or the dice bearing your own symbol. As the game progresses, each player will thus have his own symbols on the game board.
The Winner
The first player who has made a horizontal, vertical or diagonal line with FIVE of his symbols has won.
NOTE: A tie is possible, when one move has simultaneously created a line of five symbols for both players.
[Diagrams: the circle player has won; a tie.]
Tactics
Occupying the four corners prevents the opponent from forming diagonal lines. Occupying each end of a line prevents the opponent from sliding that line. It generally proves more favourable to place your own symbols on the game board as early as possible rather than trying to win quickly, unless a very favourable position arises.
Cambio for Three Players
The goal of the game for three players is to make a consecutive line of FOUR symbols.
[Diagram: starting position. Caption: Each player starts with 4 squares, circles and triangles.]
[Diagram: a win by a diagonal line of squares. Caption: Win with a diagonal line for the square.]
Setup: as with 2 players, except that each player starts with FOUR symbols.
The game: as with 2 players (with, however, a possibility of four additional diagonal lines).
Have fun!