United Square
United Square Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Objective and Key Terms
Make the greatest number of SQUAREs by laying TILES side by side so that matching colors touch.
- SQUARE: a solid-colored square, formed when two tiles of the same color are connected.
- TILE: the tiles are the 24 multicolored squares that make up the game. Each tile is divided into four colored triangles — one triangle in each of the four colors (yellow, green, blue, red) — arranged around the tile's center. Turning a tile in place does not change which colors sit on which side of it.
- Making a SQUARE: connect 2 tiles of the same color, side to side, to form one solid-colored square.
- PLAYING (laying a tile): every tile placed must, without exception, form one or more SQUAREs.
- BLOCKING: placing 2 identical colors along the sides of a space makes that space unplayable (see Blocked Spaces below).
Setup
Place the tile bearing the United Square logo at the center of your playing space. The game is played on a virtual board of 25 spaces (a 5x5 square), so up to 2 tiles can be played out from the center tile in every direction (see The Playing Space, below).
Next, choose your color(s), using the solid-color squares to show your choice: yellow, green, blue, red. Then shuffle the 24 tiles and deal the same number of tiles to each player:
- 2 players: 2 colors and 12 tiles each.
- 3 players: 1 color* and 8 tiles each.
- 4 players: 1 color and 6 tiles each.
*The 4th color is neutral.
All tiles are dealt out — no tiles are left in reserve.
How to Play
Taking turns, players lay a tile into the playing space so as to form one or more SQUAREs. If you cannot play, you pass your turn.
Be careful: you are required to play a playable tile if you have one, regardless of which color of SQUARE it forms.
The first player lays a tile next to the center tile so as to form a SQUARE — of their own color or of an opposing color. Players then lay a tile in turn, one after another, or pass their turn if they cannot play. Every tile laid must, without exception, form SQUAREs of matching color.
Blocked Spaces
Some spaces on the board can become unplayable: this happens whenever the same color appears twice on the sides of one space (2 identical colors on each side of the same space blocks it). A blocked space can no longer receive a tile for the rest of the game.
End of Game and Scoring
The game ends when every playable tile has been laid.
The player with the greatest number of SQUAREs of their color (or colors) wins the game. In a team game, the team with the greatest combined number of SQUAREs wins.
To count SQUAREs at the end of a game played with 2 cubes (49 spaces) without making a mistake, look at the virtual board turned into the shape of a diamond, and follow the squares in a straight, linear path.
Game Variants
United Square can be played several ways:
Solitaire
Play alone. You must lay all 24 tiles in your playing space while forming only SQUAREs. Be careful: the colors along the edges of the playing space must match.
Face to Face (2 players)
Make the greatest number of SQUAREs of your 2 colors. A highly strategic way to play, since each player already knows their opponent's colors by default.
3 Players, Every Player for Themselves
Make the greatest number of SQUAREs of your color.
4 Players
Every Player for Themselves: make the greatest number of SQUAREs of your color. You have 3 opponents, and alliances will form to counter the best player — who might be you!
Team Spirit: make the greatest number of SQUAREs of your team's colors. Each player chooses 1 color; points are added together between players on the same team. The team with the highest total wins the game. Don't forget to work out the right strategy with your partner.
The Rival Teammate: make the greatest number of SQUAREs by team first, but to win you must also have more SQUAREs than your own partner! Each player chooses 1 color. The winner is whichever team has scored the most points overall and also has the player who built the greatest number of squares within their own team. Be careful — your partner is your closest rival!
Tournament Play (2-player games)
Different colored squares are printed on the reverse side of the tiles. They let you play a match over 2 rounds using 2 identical sets.
When dealing the tiles, one player takes all the tiles showing the same color square on their reverse side. That player then begins the game. For the second round, the opposing player takes those same tiles and begins the game instead.
In tournament play, players' tiles are kept visible.
The Playing Space (1 Cube)
Once the tile bearing the United Square logo has been laid, the 25-space virtual playing board is marked out so that only 2 squares can be played out from it in each direction; for the 49-space board, 3 squares can be played out from it in each direction.
Expanding Your Playing Space
Ideal for games with 3 or 4 players, and for the Solitaire game. Use 2 cubes to expand your playing space from 25 to 49 spaces (a 7x7 square). When you do, double the number of tiles dealt to each player.
Virtual Playing Boards
Play with 1 set of 24 squares on a 25-space board, or play with 2 sets of 24 squares on a 49-space board.
Box Contents
- 2 identical sets of 24 squares — the two sets can be told apart by the color of the "UNITED SQUARE" name printed on the back of each square.
- 2 squares bearing the United Square logo — used as the starting marker for the virtual playing boards.
- 4 solid-colored squares (yellow, green, blue, red) — used to display your chosen color(s).
- 2 "Règles du jeu" (Rules of the Game) squares.
Digital Versions
Play the digital versions of the United Square games for free — solo against the computer, or online against 2 or 4 players — at www.united-square.com.