No More Sweden 2014

Upoopia

Uppopia is a boardgame I made with my friend Jacob Michelsen during the 2014 No More Sweden game jam.

Setting

In a not too distant future giant worms are eating and pooping their way through space. Certain gifted individuals have the ability to mind control these cosmic beasts, they are know as poopeteers.

Pieces

This is a board game which is played on a 10*19 grid or half a Go board. Except for the board there are two sets of worm beads, one for each space worm and its space poop (black and white if played with Go beads), two black holes, two galaxies (to eat) 4 black and 4 white d6 as well as two mugs for hiding the dice and a beginner marker for indicating the starter.

Setup

From the perspective of the grid the starting setup is:

  • 1;8, 2;8, 3;8: black worm beads
  • 17;8, 18;8, 19;8: white worm beads
  • 10;8, 10;4: black holes
  • 4;4: black galaxy
  • 16;4: white galaxy

The game is for two players, two poopeteers:

  1. Each player choose which worm they wish to control (the black one or the white one)
  2. The white player takes 2 white dice and 1 black die
  3. The black player takes 2 black dice and 1 white die
  4. The beginner is chosen in a preferable manner and given the beginner marker.

Procedure

  1. Each player shake their dice hidden using their cup, they do not show the result to each other
  2. The beginner choose one die to use for moving a worm
  3. White dice are used to move the white worm and vice verse
  4. Once the worm is moved the other player gets to do the same
  5. This is repeated until the end game condition is met or the players have used all their dice
  6. When all the dice have been used, the players retrieve their dice, shake them again and the beginner marker is passed to the other player

Moving a Worm

When you move your own worm you move as many steps as the die indicate
When you move the other player’s worm you can only move half of the steps indicated
The movement is done as such that, starting from the head of the worm, the player places the a bead for each step in a straight line from the head bead in the same color as the worm (and its poop)
Worms cannot pass through black holes or worm/poop (the same) beads
The heads of the worms are the 3;8 and 17;8 beads from the setup

Winning Condition

The game is won when the other player’s worm is forced to move into a worm/poop bead or black hole
This can be done by using your own die for controlling the other worm or by creating a state where the other player is forced to make such a move

Other Poopeteer abilities

Eating Galaxies:
If your worm passes through a galaxy you get to pick up that galaxy and place it next to you
If you have a galaxy marker when it’s time for shaking the dice you exchange that marker for a die in the same color and add it your dice

X-ray vision:
You may choose to use one of your movement turns to not move and instead sacrifice your die for controlling the other worm (before it has been used) to force the other player to reveal her dice until the next re-throw.

Submission link: http://www.unicorn7.org/games/game/553/