Octi Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Game Content
• Octi — Basic Game Rules
  • Components Used
  • Setup
  • Object of the Game (Basic Rules)
  • Rules
  • Game End
  • Game Example
• Rules for Octi Extreme (Octi-X) — Fast Game Rules
  • Components Used
  • Setup
  • Object of the Game
  • Playing Octi-X
• Rules for Octi-X — Classic
  • Setup
  • Object of the Game
  • Additional Rules

Game Content

• Double-sided board (6x7 board on one side and 9x9 board on the other)
• 7 pods of each color (red and black)
• 50 prongs, to be inserted into the pods
• Game rules

Octi — Basic Game Rules

Components Used

• 6x7 board
• 4 pods of each color
• 12 prongs for each player

Setup

The Octi board used in the basic game is a 6x7 grid. There are 8 bases, four for each player, designated by differently colored squares.

Each player starts with 4 pods of their own color (so-called "friendly pods"), on each of their 4 bases, and 12 prongs in reserve. The arrow on top of each pod is oriented so that it points towards the opponent.

IMPORTANT: The pods should never be rotated during the game; the arrows should always point toward the opponent's side of the board.

Object of the Game (Basic Rules)

To be the player to first land a pod on any of the opponent's bases.

Rules

A pod may not move until it has been equipped with at least one prong. Once equipped, a pod may move in any of the directions indicated by its prongs.

On each turn, a player performs ONE of the following actions:

1. Add one prong to any friendly pod, thereby enabling the pod to move in that direction on subsequent turns.
2. Move a friendly pod to an empty, adjacent square. You may only move a pod one square and only in a direction for which it is equipped with a prong. (Remember — when moving a pod, be sure not to rotate it.)
3. Make a jump, or series of jumps. A friendly pod may jump over pods of either color, in any direction indicated by its prongs. A player may make a series of jumps in a single turn. The square immediately behind each jumped pod must be vacant, and the player may not jump twice over the same square in the same turn. At the end of the turn, the player may choose whether to capture some or all of the pods, of either color, that were jumped, or leave them in place. A player is not obligated to jump when presented with the possibility — jumping is always optional. All captures are made at the conclusion of the turn.

Capturing prongs: A player who captures a pod, of either color, removes all the prongs from the captured pod. These prongs can be used by the player in subsequent turns.

Game End

The first player to land one of their pods on any of their opponent's bases wins the game.

Game Example

• Setup — pieces are placed on the starting bases.
• Turn 1 — Black adds a prong. Red adds a prong.
• Turn 2 — Black moves forward. Red adds a prong.
• Turn 3 — Black adds a prong. Red moves forward.
• Turn 4 — Black adds a prong. Red jumps but elects not to capture.
• Turn 5 — Black double jumps and lands on the opponent's base to win the game.

Rules for Octi Extreme (Octi-X) — Fast Game Rules

Components Used

• 9x9 board
• 7 pods of each color
• 25 prongs for each player

Octi-X is played on the 9x9 board. The basic rules of Octi apply, so please read them if you had not yet done so. The Octi-X Fast Game uses, in addition, the following rules.

Setup

Each player starts with 1 pod on each of their 3 bases; 4 pods and 25 prongs are kept in reserve.

Object of the Game

To be the first player to land one friendly pod on any of the opponent's bases.

Playing Octi-X

On each turn, players must perform ONE of the following actions:

1. Add a prong to a friendly pod, as in the basic game.
2. Move a pod, as in the basic game, but with the added possibility of stacking friendly pods (see below).
3. Make a jump, or series of jumps, as in the basic game. Stacks of pods may make simultaneous moves and jumps (see below).
4. Bring a pod from their reserve into play and place it on an empty or occupied friendly base. The pod enters play with no prongs.

Octi-X allows players to stack two or more friendly pods on top of each other. A player may build a stack by moving their pod to a square occupied by a friendly pod or by bringing a pod into play from their reserve and placing it on top of another pod occupying a friendly base.

When moving a stack, any or all stacked pods may move or jump simultaneously in any direction allowed by their prongs.

Note: Pods making simultaneous moves ignore each other for purposes of jumping. If one pod of a stack moves into a square, other pods of the stack, provided they are equipped to move in that direction, may also move into the same square. But, in a single turn, one cannot move one pod from the stack and then jump that pod with another pod from the stack.

When jumping over a stack of pods, the player may select whether to capture any or all of the stacked pods.

Rules for Octi-X — Classic

The classic version expands further on the Octi-X Fast Game rules.

Setup

The Octi-X classic uses the same setup as the Octi-X Fast Game.

Object of the Game

The winner is the first player to occupy, simultaneously, all three of the opponent's bases.

Additional Rules

In addition to the Fast Play rules, players have the following options:

1. Liberate a friendly pod that was previously captured. A player who occupies an opponent's base may decide, as a move, to liberate a friendly pod previously captured by either player. The liberated pod, empty of all prongs, is then stacked on top of one of the player's pods currently occupying a friendly or enemy base.
2. In addition to being able to introduce a reserve pod on a friendly base, a player may, under the Octi-X classic rules, stack a reserve pod on top of a friendly pod occupying an opponent's base.

Note: A "reserve" pod is a pod that has never been brought onto the board. A "captured" pod is a pod that was removed from the board by either player. All the prongs of a captured pod remain with the capturing player even if such pod is subsequently liberated. It is important to keep captured pods separate from reserve pods as the rules for bringing them into play differ.