Sploof (2011)

Sploof is a four-in-a-row style game for two players with a Shibumi set. Players have limited resources available and are faced with a choice between positioning balls for strategic effect; or stockpiling them to avoid forced moves later in the game.

Aim: The player who manages to create a string of 4 touching balls at any level visible as a straight line from directly above the board wins the game. In addition, if a player has no balls remaining in their stock and cannot legally remove a red ball they lose the game.

Rules: The board starts with twelve red balls placed around the perimeter of the board. Two players, White and Black, start the game with two balls of their colour in their ‘stock’, the remaining balls are kept in a central ‘supply’. A player's stock must not be hidden from their opponent.

Randomly determine a start player. On their turn a player must either:

- Place a ball on either an empty board hole or stack it on any 2x2 platform of existing balls, or

- Remove a red ball from the board returning it to the supply and move two balls of their colour from the supply to their stock.

The removal of red balls and placement of black and white balls follows Shibumi stacking in that balls may only stack on 2x2 platforms of existing balls and if a red ball is removed then any others that it supports will drop. A red ball that directly supports two or more on the level above is pinned and cannot be removed.

Managing the numbers of balls in your stock is vital for ensuring your opponent does not force you into making moves that do not improve your position. Running out of balls in your stock will force you to remove a red ball and give the opponent two consecutive placements: this becomes a progressively riskier tactic as the game develops.

THE SHIBUMI CHALLENGE

Sploof was created as part of the Shibumi Challenge and was judged to be the winning entry.

The Shibumi Challenge geeklist: Winners announced!

Included in the Shibumi Rule Book

Soft cover:

http://www.lulu.com/shop/cameron-browne-and-nestor-romeral-andres/shibumi-rule-book/paperback/product-18940123.html

Downloadable PDF:

http://www.nestorgames.com/rulebooks/SHIBUMI_EN.pdf