Launchpad 23
Launchpad 23 Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Overview
Launchpad 23 is a game about building rockets. Our launch complex can handle up to four rockets at once, and we have several teams working simultaneously. Unfortunately, rocket parts roll out of the factory on a random schedule, and are often misrouted to the wrong launchpad. Who will finish their rocket and launch it first?
Goal
Build a complete & balanced 5-stage rocket on your launchpad.
Terminology
- Launchpad: A corner of the Launch Complex where you will assemble your rocket for launch.
- Factory: The center space, where new rocket parts will appear every turn.
- Storage Depots: All other spaces on the board (including unused Launchpads) are simply storage areas for rocket parts.
- Bank: All pyramids not in play are held in an area called the Bank.
- Rocket: Any stack of pyramids is considered a Rocket, but it will only fly if it's complete & balanced, consisting of exactly five pieces, all the same size, each a different color.
Equipment
- The Pyramid die
- The Color die
- The Launchpad 23 board (or any 3x3 grid)
- Two pyramid trios from each of the colors on the Color die
Setup
Each player chooses a Launchpad and an initial piece to start with. To choose pieces, have each player take a monochrome Trio, select a size, and conceal it in a closed fist while hiding the other two pieces out of view. Players then reveal their choices all at once, placing their starting pieces on their Launchpads and returning their leftovers to the Bank.
Who Starts
The player who can best make the claim of being a Rocket Scientist gets to go first!
How to Play
During each turn, players will roll the dice and add a new part to the Factory as determined by their roll. They will then take between two and four actions (also depending on the dice), moving one or more parts from one spot in the launch complex to the next.
Adding a New Part
Move a pyramid of the type indicated by the dice from the Bank to the Factory. If you rolled the atom, you choose the color. If you rolled a double-triangle, you choose between the two sizes shown.
Parts Shortage
If a piece you have the option to add to the Factory is not in the Bank, you can either roll again or remove the part from any space on the board. If you steal the part, it still gets placed on the Factory. If your roll gives you a choice of pyramid sizes, and only one size is available, you may choose to a) play the available size, b) steal the unavailable size, or c) re-roll. If you re-roll, you must proceed using the results of second roll, even if you have to steal because the piece is not in the Bank.
Number of Moves
You get two moves per turn, plus an extra move if your pyramid die shows two pyramids, and/or an extra move if your color die is wild. Examples:
- Color die (single-color face) + Pyramid die (single pyramid) = 2 moves
- Color die (single-color face) + Pyramid die (double-triangle, two pyramids) = 3 moves
- Color die (wild) + Pyramid die (single pyramid) = 3 moves
- Color die (wild) + Pyramid die (double-triangle, two pyramids) = 4 moves
Moving Parts
You can move any piece in any tower on the board, except for those on another player's launchpad. Just take the part you want from its location (removing it from a tower as needed) and move it into the adjacent space.
- No diagonal moves.
- Yes, you can move a part INTO another player's rocket.
- No, you are not required to use all of your moves.
- No, you are not required to use the new part that appeared in the Factory during your turn.
Auto-Sort by Size
After each turn, restack all rocket parts by size, with smaller pieces on top of larger pieces. (Yes, this is done primarily for visual convenience. It makes all of the pieces within each tower visible at once, plus it makes all the towers look like little rockets.)
Total System Failure
You may use one move to return ALL of the pieces on your pad to the Bank.
Clarifications & Reminders
- You can move ANY piece in a tower, not just the topmost piece.
- All pieces move one space at a time, regardless of size.
- You are NOT required to build your rocket using the size of piece you started with.
How to Win
Build a complete & balanced rocket on your pad. This will be exactly five pyramids, one of each color, all the same size. When your rocket is complete, gradually raise it up and hold it in the air as high as you can, making rocket launch noises as you do. (Failure to complete this step invalidates your victory.)