Multiplayer Pentago
Multiplayer Pentago Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Pentago Multiplayer
For children from 8 years and adults. Number of players: 2-4.
(Illustrations 1, 2, 3!: 1 - a stone is placed on a cell; 2 - a game block is rotated; 3! - five stones of one colour in a row.)
The game starts with an empty playing field. The first participant places a stone on a chosen cell of the playing field and rotates any one of the nine game blocks 90 degrees clockwise. Stones may be placed on any free cell, and players may rotate any game block, regardless of where the stone was placed.
The first player to place five stones of one colour in a row wins.
A row of five stones may run in various directions: straight or diagonal, passing through two or more game blocks. If a player, in the course of moving stones, has placed them so that five stones of his colour lie in a row, one after another, he has already won, and there is no need to rotate a block.
Every Man for Himself
In this variant the players play against each other, and two, three or four players may take part. Each player chooses his own colour and takes his turn (places a stone and rotates a game block).
When one of the players wins, the remaining participants may continue the game without him to determine second, third and possibly fourth place. The stones of the players who have won remain on the playing field.
If more than one player has five stones in a row after the completion of someone's turn, the victory is awarded to all of these players. If all the stones are placed on the playing field, but not more than one player has made five stones in a row, the victory is awarded to those players who managed to do so.
Team Play
This variant is intended for two pairs. Each pair chooses its own colour. The players of one team sit opposite each other, so that each following turn is made by players of different teams. Players of one team must not communicate with each other during the turn.
The team that first places five stones of its colour in a row wins.
A row of five stones may run in various directions: straight or diagonal, passing through two or more game blocks. If a player, in the course of moving stones, has placed them so that five stones of his colour lie in a row, one after another, he has already won, and there is no need to rotate a block.
If both teams manage to get five stones of their colour in a row after the turn of one of the players, or if all the stones are placed but neither team has five stones in a row, the game ends in a draw.
The team variant is excellent for family play, and also for players of different age groups, where one team may consist of one adult and one child, or of children of different ages.
Pentago Picture-Puzzle
For children from 4 years. Number of players: 2 or more.
This game is a combination of the game "Memory" and a puzzle, twisted by Pentago's famous rotating movement. Pentago Picture-Puzzle is a wonderful opportunity to develop Pentago-style thinking in an engaging play form.
Use stones of different colours to create your own picture on the playing field, or use the samples from the instructions. The first player turns away so as not to see the playing field. The next player removes one stone and rotates one of the blocks 90 degrees. Now the next player must restore the picture by placing a stone and rotating a game block 90 degrees. Players take turns, dismantling and restoring the picture. A player who cannot restore the picture is eliminated from the game.
After the first stage of the game has been completed (when all participants have once dismantled and restored the picture), the level of difficulty increases. Now the players do the same, but remove two stones and make two 90-degree rotations (the same game block may be rotated more than once). To restore the picture, it is necessary to place one stone and rotate one block before placing the next stone. A placed stone may not be taken back. Each following round involves an increase in the number of stones and block rotations.
The last remaining player wins!
If players think too long over their move, use an hourglass or stopwatch. A clock can also be used to find out which of you assembles the puzzle fastest!
About the Pictures
Creating simple pictures is excellent for children. But using complex pictures adds fascination to the game for participants of any age. The difficulty level of a picture depends mainly on how abstract and symmetrical it is in shape and colour, and also on how many game blocks it occupies. It is desirable to create a logical and recognizable picture that is not too hard to remember.
When one picture is used over several rounds of increasing difficulty, after a move only a few stones may remain of it. Usually in the first stages of the game one and the same medium-difficulty puzzle can be used for three to four full rounds, after which the picture should be made more complex and the game begun again.
Sample Pictures
The final page of the sheet shows twelve sample pictures as stone layouts on the board, captioned (in French on the sheet) as follows; the layouts are diagrams only and are not reproduced here:
Red Cross (Croix rouge); "H"; Square (Carré); Triangle; Space Rocket (Fusée spatiale); House (Maison); Bottleneck / Traffic Jam (Embouteillage); Lightning (Éclair); Orion; Four W (Quatre W); Love (Amour); Jackson Pollock.