Koekie Loeren
Koekie Loeren Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Contents
- Number of players: 2
- Age: 8 years and up
- Duration of the game: approximately 15 minutes
Contents:
- 8 cookies (note: the colours of the cookies in the game may vary from the colours of the cookies shown in the examples)
- 1 cherry
- 1 instruction manual
Point value of the cookies:
- The three dark brown chocolate cookies have a point value of 3 each.
- The two light brown caramel cookies have a point value of 2 each.
- The white vanilla cookie has a point value of 1.
- The orange player-cookie has a point value of 0.
- The blue player-cookie has a point value of 0.
Aim of the Game
The first player who separates a group of cookies containing his own cookie from a group of cookies that's worth less points containing the opponent's cookie, wins the game.
Preparation
The three chocolate cookies, the two caramel cookies and the vanilla cookie are placed in one of the following six starting positions. (The six starting layouts are shown as numbered diagrams in the manual; the positions are not reproduced here.)
One of the players then selects the blue or the orange player-cookie and places it on one of the six numbered positions shown in one of the figures above. His player-cookie must be connected with two cookies of the cookie field.
The other player then selects the player-cookie that's left and places it on one of the five numbered positions that are left. His player-cookie must also be connected with two cookies of the cookie field.
One of the players hides the cherry in one of his hands, sticks out both his fists and lets the other player point at one of the fists. Both fists are opened: if the cherry is inside the fist that was pointed at, then the player who pointed at the fist may begin, in the other case the other player may begin.
Moving
A player is obliged to move a cookie during his turn (in the rare case this is not possible, the other player wins).
Moving a cookie is always done along the outer sides of the other cookies and the moving cookie must at all times be connected with the cookies it's being moved along.
The end of a "step" is marked by a halt in movement of the cookie that's being moved (because the cookie entered a gap between two or more other cookies).
The amount of steps a cookie can move depends on the point value of one of the cookies it is connected with at the beginning of a turn.
Example 1
The dark brown chocolate cookie to the right is connected with a light brown caramel cookie with a point value of 2, a dark brown chocolate cookie with a point value of 3 and a player-cookie with no point value.
Therefore the chocolate cookie can choose one of the following two options:
- move 2 steps to the left or 2 steps to the right.
- move 3 steps to the left or 3 steps to the right.
Example 2
The white vanilla cookie is connected with two caramel cookies with a point value of 2 each and one player-cookie with no point value.
Therefore the vanilla cookie can be moved 2 steps to the left or 2 steps to the right.
Example 3
The light brown caramel cookie to the right is connected to the white vanilla cookie with a point value of 1, a light brown caramel cookie with a point value of 2 and two dark brown chocolate cookies with a point value of 3 each.
Therefore the caramel cookie can choose one of the following three options:
- move 1 step to the left or 1 step to the right.
- move 2 steps to the left or 2 steps to the right.
- move 3 steps to the left or 3 steps to the right.
If the player decides to move the cookie 2 steps to the left or 2 steps to the right (because the cookie is connected to a light brown caramel cookie with a point value of 2), then the 2 steps must be fully completed.
If the player decides to move the cookie 3 steps to the left or 3 steps to the right (because the cookie is connected to a dark brown chocolate cookie with a point value of 3), then the 3 steps must be fully completed.
A cookie that is moved to the left may not be moved to the right during the same movement (and vice versa).
At the end of a turn the cherry must be placed on the cookie that has just been moved, so that the player who's next can clearly see which cookie has been moved last.
Not Moving
You cannot move the player-cookie of an opponent (but you can move your own player-cookie).
You cannot move a cookie of the same colour as the cookie that has been moved during the previous turn.
You cannot move a cookie if that move (temporally) divides the cookie field, except if the game can instantly be won by making that move (see: Dividing the Cookie Field).
You cannot move a cookie that is connected to one or two player-cookies only.
You cannot move a cookie that is surrounded by other cookies (note: a cookie is considered surrounded if it must force other cookies to move from their positions in order to get away).
Example
The white vanilla cookie cannot be moved, because it is connected to a player-cookie with no point value only.
Both caramel cookies cannot be moved, because they are both surrounded by other cookies.
Dividing the Cookie Field
The cookie field may only be (temporally) divided if the game can be won instantly by doing that.
Example
The dark brown chocolate cookie to the left may not move 1 step to the left, because then the cookie field would be temporally divided without winning the game instantly.
The chocolate cookie may not be moved 1 step to the right either, because then the white vanilla cookie would be left alone and the cookie field would be divided without winning the game instantly.
The same goes for the dark brown chocolate cookie below. This cookie may not be moved 2 steps to the left or 2 steps to the right, because then the light brown caramel cookie below would be left alone and the cookie field would be divided without winning the game instantly.
Winning the Game
The first player who separates a group of cookies containing his own cookie from a group of cookies that's worth less points containing the opponent's cookie, wins the game.
Example
The player with the orange player-cookie is now active. He may move a dark brown chocolate cookie, because the player with the blue player-cookie has not moved with a chocolate cookie in the previous turn (the cherry is on top of the white vanilla cookie).
He moves the chocolate cookie in the middle 1 step to the right (which is allowed, because that chocolate cookie is connected to the white vanilla cookie with a point value of 1) and divides the cookie field by doing this.
The lower cookie field contains the blue player-cookie and counts 6 points in total (3 chocolate points, 2 caramel points and 1 vanilla point).
The upper cookie field contains the orange player-cookie and counts 8 points in total (6 chocolate points and 2 caramel points).
Therefore the player with the orange player-cookie wins the game.
Special Situations
Special Situation 1
This seems to be a victory, but it's not.
The player with the orange player-cookie is now active. He may move a dark brown chocolate cookie, because the player with the blue player-cookie has not moved with a chocolate cookie in the previous turn (the cherry is on top of the white vanilla cookie).
He wants to move the chocolate cookie in the middle 3 steps to the right, but this is not allowed, because he only divides the cookie field temporally by doing this. Because he must fully complete the 3 steps, he eventually re-connects the two temporally divided cookie fields.
For the same reason, it's also not allowed to move the same chocolate cookie 3 steps to the left.
Special Situation 2
The player with the orange player-cookie is now active. He may move a dark brown chocolate cookie, because the player with the blue player-cookie has not moved with a chocolate cookie in the previous turn (the cherry is on top of the blue player-cookie).
He wants to move the chocolate cookie in the middle 2 steps to the right, but this is not allowed, because he divides the cookie field without winning the game instantly by doing this (both players would get the same amount of points and a draw is not allowed in this game).
Special Situation 3
The player with the blue player-cookie has moved a dark brown chocolate cookie and wins the game by doing this, because the player with the orange player-cookie cannot move one single cookie anymore (the dark brown chocolate cookies may not be moved, because a chocolate cookie has already been moved in the previous turn, and the other cookies are either immobile or moving them would divide the cookie field without winning the game instantly).
Special Situation 4
The player with the blue player-cookie is now active. He may move a light brown caramel cookie, because the player with the orange player-cookie has not moved with a caramel cookie in the previous turn (the cherry is on top of a dark brown chocolate cookie).
He moves the upper caramel cookie 2 steps to the left (which is allowed, because that caramel cookie is connected to a light brown caramel cookie with a point value of 2) and divides the cookie field by doing this.
Granted: during its second step to the left the cookie connects both cookie fields for a moment (it briefly touches the white vanilla cookie on the left side and the orange player-cookie on the right side), but after fully completing its second step the cookie field is permanently divided.
The lower cookie field contains the blue player-cookie and counts 8 points in total (3 chocolate points, 4 caramel points and 1 vanilla point).
The upper cookie field contains the orange player-cookie and counts 6 points in total (6 chocolate points).
Therefore the player with the blue player-cookie wins the game.
Playing Tip for Children
Play this game with real cookies, instead of fake ones. Replace one or more cookies in the game with chocolate cookies or glazed biscuits of the same size. The player who wins may eat his earned cookies or share them with the other player.
Have fun and don't forget to brush your teeth!