GAME OF THE MONTH: Sets
Thanks to everyone who tried out the first Game of the Month, Word Swirl! This month’s game is called Sets. The game can accommodate any number of players, and can be played physically or digitally. The game is remarkably short (I’ve played games in about two minutes before) and, so I’m told, mildly addicting. Below you’ll find the rules for the physical game, followed by instructions for how to use the digital version which was created by my friend Nico.
SETUP:
Each player grabs a piece of paper and a pencil. One player will need two dice, or a dice rolling app. All players write their starting numbers and turn tracker as shown.
OBJECTIVE:
Like Word Swirl, there is no win-lose condition: the goal of the game is to score as many victory points as possible. If playing with others, the player with the most victory points wins.
GAMEPLAY:
The game is played over ten turns.
Each turn has 4 simple parts:
roll dice: one player rolls the two dice.
record values: each player writes down the values of the dice roll in the corresponding row on their player sheet.
Example: Matt rolls a 2 and a 4. He writes a 2 in the 2 row, and a 4 in the 4 row to start the game.
circle sets: if a player has written a value as many times as the value itself in any row (i.e. two 2s or four 4s), they may circle that many values in that row AND write a bonus value of their choice in the corresponding row.
Players may do this as often as they wish; however, they may not circle the same row twice in one turn. Additionally, once a value is circled it may not be circled again.
Example: Matt decides to circle a set. Since he has one uncircled 1, he circles it and writes a 4 in the 4 row.
Matt then circles his two 2s, writing another four in the 4 row.
Now that Matt has four 4s, he can circle his 4 row and write a 6. A solid start!
mark turn: cross off the highest value on the turn tracker. Once all players have done so, begin the next turn.
The game ends after players cross off the ‘1’ on the turn tracker.
FINAL SCORING:
Players add all the values they have circled, then subtract all the values they have not circled. This is their final score.
DIGITAL IMPLEMENTATION:
Here is the link to the online version of Sets. The game plays best on a laptop.
To begin a turn, click the “Roll Dice” button. Two new values will appear in their respective rows. To circle a set, click the “Circle” button on the right side of the row the set is in. The button will be green if you have an eligible set to circle.
When you circle a set, one blank box will appear in each row. Type your chosen bonus value in the corresponding box (i.e. to write a ‘6’, type ‘6’ in the ‘6’ row). You may end your turn at any point by clicking “End Turn”.
At the end of the game, you’ll get your score and overall rank of all players, so try to beat my high score (133 points)!
Thanks for playing — I hope you like it. The game is enjoyable but so quick that I’m thinking it may be better served as a piece of another larger game.
I’m also considering making a video tutorial for the game (and for future Games of the Month), since this was a lot of writing for what is an incredibly simple game. If you’d prefer to watch that instead of read these rules, let me know in the comments.
Speaking of video tutorials, Liz Davidson, host of the excellent YouTube channel and podcast Beyond Solitaire, made a “How to Solo” video for Insurgent: Algeria recently. She does a fantastic job of explaining the premise and rules of the game, then plays a few turns, so if you’re curious to see the game in action that’s a great place to do it.
Happy gaming,
Matt