Collapsi
Collapsi Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Objective
Win the game by being the last player able to make a legal move.
Players
2 players.
Contents
- 2 Pawns (each pawn a different color or item)
- Jack, Jack, A, A, A, A, 2, 2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 3, 4, 4
Setup
Determine who will be Player 1. That player prepares the board and goes first.
Prepare the Board
Player 1 shuffles the deck of cards and deals them out face-up to form a 4x4 grid. Jacks are the first starting cards for the game. The first jack revealed is Player 1's starting card. The second jack revealed is Player 2's starting card.
Play
Player 1 goes first. The number of spaces you must move is determined by the number on your starting card. A starting card is the card on which you begin your turn. On your first turn, your starting card is a jack which allows you to move one space. After you complete your move, flip your starting card face down. That card has collapsed, and it can no longer be passed through or landed on.
From your second turn on, you must move a number of spaces equal to your starting card's number. If your starting card is a 2, you must move two spaces. If it is a 3, you must move three spaces and so on. Your starting card will collapse every turn.
Movement
In Collapsi, you move your pawn orthogonally: left, right, up, or down. You may move in alternating directions to complete your turn. For example, if you must move four spaces, you could move up 1, left 3. Or, you could move down 2, left 1, up 1.
The board in Collapsi wraps around like an old school video game (think Pac-man or Asteroids). You can "exit" the left side of the board and "enter" the right side in the same row or vice versa. You can also "exit" the bottom of the board and enter the top in the same column or vice versa.
There are some things you cannot do in Collapsi:
- You may not move through a card more than once.
- You may not complete your move on your starting card.
- You may not complete your move on a card that contains your opponent's piece.
Continue Play
Play like this continues until a player is unable to complete a move based on the starting card's number. As soon as this occurs the game ends.
Win
The last player able to complete a move wins the game.
Variations
Add a twist to Collapsi with these different rules.
Big Board
To play with a 6x6 board and up to four players, use the following cards: four jacks and eight aces, 2's, 3's, and 4's. Determine who will be Player 1. That player shuffles the 36 card deck and deals out the 6x6 grid. The first jack revealed is Player 1's starting card. The second jack revealed is Player 2's starting card and so on. Any unused jacks are turned face down before the game begins.
Shifting Board
At the end of your turn, you must shift the row or the column on which your pawn landed. All of the cards (both face up and collapsed) in that row or column are shifted one space in the direction of your choice. Rows can be shifted left or right, and columns can be shifted up or down. As the game progresses, gaps might form in the grid. You cannot pass through these gaps. Gaps shift along with the cards in the row or column. You may still wrap around the board edges if there are gaps in the row or column.
Player's Choice
Players do not begin the game on a jack. Instead, once the board has been dealt, turn all jacks face down. Player 1 chooses any card to start the game on, then Player 2, Player 3 and so on.
Solo Game
Start with a 3x3 grid using the following cards: two jacks, three 1's and 2's, and one 3. Shuffle and deal out the 3x3 grid. The first jack revealed is your first starting card. That card is the beginning of the puzzle. Your objective is to collapse the entire grid before exiting. The second jack is the exit card. Think of it as a door. To successfully exit the puzzle, you must be able to land on or pass through the exit card. If you successfully collapse all the cards before exiting, you win. All of the rules from the regular game apply.