Roundabout
Roundabout Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
The Object
To be the first player to remove all 10 of your game pieces from the board.
The Equipment
ROUNDABOUT™ contains one game board, a pair of dice, and four sets of 10 game pieces.
Set Up
The board has four distinctly colored Home Territories, each comprised of 5 Rings and 4 Bars. Players select Home Territories that are opposite each other and place their 10 corresponding colored game pieces ("Darts") in the following configuration:
A Home Territory Setup
Once set up is complete, each player rolls one die. The player with the highest roll will go first. That player then rolls both dice to begin.
Basic Rules
- The Darts advance around the board on the Rings in the direction they are pointed.
- Darts can also be moved on the Bars, towards or away from the center, while maintaining the direction in which they are pointed.
- No two Darts may occupy the same space.
- Players may advance over their own Darts and their opponent's, unless their opponent has set up a Block (see Blocks). Darts that are passed over are counted as spaces.
To advance your Darts roll both dice. You then have the following options:
- Move one Dart the number of spaces rolled on one die.
- Then, you may move that same Dart the value on the second die OR move a different Dart the value on the second die.
- However, when moving your Darts, each Dart must be moved the full value of a die in only one direction. Therefore, you must choose to move each Dart either around a Ring or on a Bar. Note: When moving a Dart on a Bar, you can not move both towards and away from the center with the value of one die.
- A player does not have to use the results of both dice, if, after moving one Dart, that player is left without another available move.
Defensive Moves
Blocks
Blocks are used to prevent your opponent's Darts from jumping over your Darts. You can set up a block in two ways, on Rings and on Bars:
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When you position 2 or more Darts on the same Ring, on consecutive Bars (see Diagram A).
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When you position 2 or more Darts on the same Bar, on adjacent Rings (see Diagram B).
In both cases, your opponent can not jump over any of your Darts that form the Block.
Diagram A: None of the White Darts can jump over either of the Red Darts, in any direction.
Diagram B: None of the White Darts can jump over either of the Red Darts, in any direction.
Captures
Captures are used to prevent your opponent's Darts from advancing.
A Capture occurs when one player has a single Dart on a particular Bar and the other player has 2 Darts on that same Bar, with all 3 Darts being on adjacent Rings (see Diagram C).
Diagram C: The Red Darts have established Captures against both White Darts. Neither of these White Darts can be moved, nor can another White Dart land anywhere on these 2 Bars.
A player with a Captured Dart can not end their turn by landing any of their other Darts on any other space on that Bar. (If all of your remaining Darts are Captured, you lose your turn until one of your Darts becomes free.)
After using only the first die, when a player lands a Dart on a space that would result in a Capture, that player may use the value of the second die to advance out of the potential Capture.
Offensive Moves
Reversing Doubles (Odd Doubles)
When a player rolls double ONES, THREES or FIVES, that player may either take that roll or instead may Reverse the direction of one or two of their Darts. Darts that are Captured and Darts that are in a Player's own Home Territory may not be Reversed.
Jumping Doubles (Even Doubles)
When a player rolls double TWOS, FOURS or SIXES, that player may now advance one or two Darts over any Blocks that are in their way. However, players are never required to jump over a Block, even if that move is the only one available to them.
(Rolling either Reversing or Jumping Doubles does not enable a player to double the value of that roll or to take an additional roll on that turn.)
Ringers
The moment a player's Darts occupy the spaces in a single Ring on all 4 Bars in their opponent's Home Territory, those Darts are immediately removed from the board. (See Diagram D). NOTE: If any of those Darts are Captured, the Ringer frees them and they are removed as well!
Diagram D: White has achieved a Ringer. All 4 of these Darts are automatically removed from the board!
Removing Darts and Winning the Game
There are two ways to remove your Darts from the board. First, by getting a Ringer as described above. Second, by advancing all of your other Darts back to your Home Territory where, after landing on any unoccupied space, they are immediately removed from the board. The first player to remove all of their Darts is the winner of the game!
(Darts are removed from your Home Territory even if they land on a space that would have normally resulted in a Capture. However, a Dart that overshoots your Home Territory must circle the board again.)
Rules for Three & Four Players
All Rules for Two Player ROUNDABOUT™ are in effect when playing with Three or Four Players, except the following:
Set Up
Three Player Setup and Four Player Setup are shown on the printed rules sheet.
Each player has 8 Darts in a Three Player game and 6 Darts in a Four Player game. The Darts are setup according to the Diagrams above.
Blocks
When a Block is executed by one player, it will affect all of the other players.
Captures
Only the player whose Dart has been Captured is prevented from landing additional Darts on that Bar. Therefore, it is possible for one player to Capture two opponents on the same Bar (See Diagram E). (Remember, a player can be Captured only when they have 1 Dart on a given Bar.)
Diagram E: The Red Darts have established a Capture against the White Dart AND the spotted Dart.
Ringers
To create a Ringer, a player's Darts only need to occupy the spaces on 3 consecutive Bars of a single Ring in the Territory opposite their Home Territory.
The Golden Rule
After rolling the dice, a player may relinquish their turn and offer that roll to be used by one of his or her opponents. If their opponent(s) decline the offer, that player must use the roll. Play resumes with the player who is next in the regular rotation of turns, even if that player was the beneficiary of the Golden Rule.
Strategy Tips
- Try moving your Darts in pairs, not only to help you avoid being Captured, but to assist you in your efforts to set up Blocks.
- Avoid positioning too many of your Darts close to your Home Territory when you are trying to return Home. You may be setting yourself up to over-shoot your Home Territory.
- When playing with three or four players, and one person begins to gain an advantage over the others, you might consider forming an alliance with your other opponent(s) and strategizing together against that player.
- Also in three and four player games, you might consider using ROUNDABOUT'S™ "Golden Rule" when one player is close to winning and another player could use your roll to Block or Capture that player.