[Tim Gee]

The last idea in the nogging. I had to get this one out and down on paper so I can move on to phase two of The Journey. It is a simple abstract set collection with enough thinking that you feel like you are making meaningful choices, but still simple enough that you can learn to play in 3 minutes.

Mancala Set Collection

Theme: None – Abstract

Story: None

Mechanics: Mancala, Set collection

Set Up:

Each player has a mancala board. The Mancala ‘board’ is made up of two rows of six holes each. Next, four pieces are placed in each of the 12 holes. The colour of the pieces is irrelevant. At each end there is a store. There 2×6 rows of cards in the middle of the table and which match the layout of holes in a mancala board.

Gameplay:

On your turn pick up all the in pieces in any one of the holes on your mancala board. Moving anti-clockwise, deposit one piece in each hole until the pieces run out.

If the last piece is placed in an end store chose any card from the grid.

If the last piece you drop is in an empty hole take that piece and the pieces in the whole directly opposite and place them in your store. Take the card that corresponds to where you placed your last piece.

If your last piece does not end in your store or any empty whole with pieces opposite do not take a card.

The game end when one player’s mancala board has no holes with multiple pieces in it.

When a card is take, draw a new card to place it in the grid.

Scoring:

Option 1- Different sets are worth different points depending on the combinations. This is to be figured out.

Option 2 – Players get objective cards and they need to collect those cards to meet the objectives

[Conor Reed]

I used to love mancala as a kid (I played mostly in the coffee shop on club penguin, RIP). I think it’s really interesting to add another goal to the game that can reward points for different actions and add an element of randomness to the game.
It feels a tiny bit snowball-y that you would get both the marbles in the opposite space AND the card, but this might not prove to be the case since your options may still be limited.
I’d definitely be interested in playing!

[Tim Gee]

Not sure what you mean by snowball-y. I probably didn’t explain the rules the best, but each player has their own mancala board so you cant affect the other player directly. The marbles are just a way of selecting of cards and collecting the marbles is a tactical way to speed the game up.

[Conor Reed]

Ah okay, in that case if it offers the same advantage to both players then that wouldn’t apply. I only meant that it felt like it would give more points to the winning player, but like I said if that advantage is purely even then it’s probably irrelevant.