Game: Worm Up!

Thread: Re: New version imminent

Maucoin — 2008-11-06T16:12:14+00:00

Are the rules different? It looks like the old version has dice and the new version has cards.

Thread: Re: Kameltreiber/ Blazing Camels/ Sacre Chameau

MWil — 2008-11-05T09:25:00+00:00

Hi,

If you post a scan of the German rules, I could see if I could do a simple translation to English. I understand some German and have German-speaking friends who could help.

Thread: Re: Kameltreiber/ Blazing Camels/ Sacre Chameau

ixnay66 — 2008-11-04T22:39:56+00:00

I have this version but can't seem to be able to get a copy of the rules in english. The worm version has each player using a segment of 7 worms but Blazing Camels only has a train of 4 camels.

Thread: Kameltreiber/ Blazing Camels/ Sacre Chameau

MWil — 2008-10-25T22:10:45+00:00

Hi,

I'm thinking about buying this and wondered how the pyramid goalposts are moved?

I am assuming the camel version has the same rule about moving the goalposts as the worm version. In the worm version, the two goalposts are attached by a ribbon, which (from the camel version photos on BGG) does not appear the case with the pyramid goalposts.

Thanks in advance for replies.

Thread: Re: [Video Review] Worm Up!

Tygo — 2008-10-16T10:57:49+00:00

Thanks Tom, your review turned me onto scoring a copy of this. I probably would have never given it a chance otherwise.

Great work, and I'm looking forward to my first play.

Thread: [Video Review] Worm Up!

TomVasel — 2008-10-11T13:32:36+00:00

Quick Summary: A hilarious, thematic race in which you can really mess with the other players. Short and fun.

Youtube Video

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rsolow — 2008-10-04T04:48:19+00:00

New Box (back) from the FRED Distribution 2008 edition.

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rsolow — 2008-10-04T04:47:50+00:00

New Box (front) from the FRED Distribution 2008 edition.

Thread: New version imminent

tool — 2008-09-30T22:24:48+00:00

Blazing Camels/Wuermeln/etc. is apparently being reprinted as Worm Up!, in the US by FRED and in France by Gigamic.

Thread: Kamel Treiben/Blazing camels or Through the Desert?

lacxox — 2008-09-25T22:45:38+00:00

No, it's not about the game; of course Knizia's one is a classic. But which one was first? (I mean which one with these camels and palm trees were published first, and which one used later the same pieces? I know BC is an older game but am not sure it was published first with camels.)
And is there another (third, fourth etc.) game that used the same game pieces?

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sos1 — 2007-10-27T20:58:56+00:00

Würmeln box cover - this is really a different game than Blazing Camels

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Red Wine Pie — 2007-06-17T10:43:17+00:00

Blazing Camels - How many in his hand?

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Goodsound — 2007-05-13T12:13:13+00:00

German Edition Front Cover

Thread: Review by SOS, with variants and Live Action rules!

sos1 — 2007-04-18T16:39:44+00:00

Würmeln is a very quick and fun game. Even though it's made in Germany, it's still less than $20 in the U.S.A., and highly recommended. Basically, it's worm racing.

Würmeln is for three to five players, but we also play with two - I'll tell you how in a bit. A worm consists of seven hemispheres of the same color. Line them up at the starting line so that they're all touching, spread out behind the lead one, and you're ready to play.

Each player has a special die marked 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, X. The dice are not rolled, however, but are used to set your speed each turn. Everyone chooses a number secretly, and all are revealed at once. If your choice is unique, you will move that many segments this turn. If two or more dice show the same number, however, no one showing that number may move. Movement is from lowest unique number to highest number, in order.

To move, simply remove the number of segments (equal to your die choice) from the back of the worm and add them to the front. There are rules about squirming the worm, but basically the game is very simple. If you've successfully gotten a "7" or "X", you may not rebid that choice on your next turn.

The "X" on the die is special. If you have the only "X" showing, you select any number between 3 and 7 that is not already taken by another worm. You also may move one of the goal posts! Put your finger on one post, and move the other as you like. (They are connected by a stiff piece of cardboard, so you can only rotate it, not stretch or shrink it.) To win, you have to be the first worm with a segment between the goal posts - in the direction the word reads.

One question that isn't answered in the rules, as far as I can tell, is: do you have to cross the finish line or can the finish line cross you? That is, if I roll an "X" successfully, and move my worm fairly close to the finish line, can I then rotate the finish line so that my worm ends up having crossed it? We ruled "No" on this, stating that a worm has to cross the finish line under its own power. But I admit it's a house ruling.

That's it - very fast, fun, and light.

Variants

* Two-player Würmeln: one player takes the "hot" colors, red and yellow, and the other takes the "cool" colors, blue and green. Each sets both dice before revealing. We also use one of the variants below.

* With less than five players: As the rules are written, the game is frankly best with five players. With fewer, there is less likelihood of choosing the same number as another player, and it becomes a much tamer game. But by using one of the following variants, the game becomes quite exciting with two, three, or four players. Note that in all of these variants the unused worm isn't actually placed on the board - only the dice from the unused colors.

1. No luck: with two or four players, set the unused die to a "3" on the table, leaving it that way the whole game to remind players that no one may choose a "3" this game. With three players, set the two unused dice on the table, one at "3" and the other at "4". Anyone foolish enough to choose one of those numbers doesn't move. A player who chooses an "X" may not move that amount, either. [Note: I have thought of, but haven't tried, experimenting with other numbers. A "5" in the two- or four-player game sounds interesting, while a "4" and "6" in the three-player game would make the differences between allowable speeds greater - this might make the game better or worse, I'm not sure.]

2. Minimal luck: before players set their dice for a turn, roll the extra di(c)e. The resulting number(s) may not be chosen by a player. When playing with three players, reroll one of the dice if they come up the same number - you should have two different numbers you may not select.

3. A bit more luck: roll the extra di(c)e after players have selected their numbers for the turn! Anyone whose number matches a rolled result doesn't move that turn. In this case, don't reroll one of the dice with three players - what you get, is what you get.

Live Action Würmeln!

Yes, you too can be part of the madness! Recommended for conventions and other large gatherings of lightheaded loonies. I haven't tried this yet, but it was suggested to me by UK gaming personality Paul Evans, and I said, "Sounds great!"

You need at least 36 people to do this - 35 players and one referee. If you have more, you can assign assistant referees, goal post movers, official die setters for each team, etc.

1. Assemble teams. Each team should have seven players. The referee should line up the teams next to each other. The referee should make adjustments to allow for different arm spans - the teams should all have roughly equal lengths, when all seven players are stretched out in a straight line, holding hands. Distribute children and basketball players as equally as possible amongst the teams, etc.

2. Set up the course. The course should be ~3.5 times the length of the average stretched-out team. The two goalposts should be joined with a pole, rope or something similar, with a sign labelled "This way in," or some such.

3. Line the teams up at the starting line, and give the "head" of each team (the person in front) a die. At this point, the team members should memorize their relative order - it shouldn't change throughout the game. (That is, the position of head will change, but not who you are behind and in front of.) The head is considered to be behind the tail for order at this point.

4. Each head selects their number, and signals the referee when ready.

5. The referee looks at each team's die, writing down the choices. Best to have a pad of paper ready, with boxes on it, five columns and lots of rows for turns. When he's recorded all the die results, he loudly announces the order of movement.

6. Teams move in the order stated by the referee, which are simply lowest unique number to highest unique number. The required number of segments breaks off from the tail and charges forward, the tail holding hands with the previous head. Unless a seven was selected, or the team doesn't move at all, there should now be a new head and tail. Decisions about which direction to go, squirming, etc., are made by the new head, not the one that set the die. (Of course, they're the same person if the team moves seven.)

7. To move seven, best to move six first, with the tail joining hands with the head, then finally move the head alone last.

8. You may not break another worm's line, nor crawl under them. If two worms have come together in front of you, so that they are touching feet at some point, you may not move by them. Of course, squirming the worm is still allowed before movement, so a team will probably be able to move if desired.

9. If an "X" has been successfully selected, the new head chooses how the goal posts should move. If there are no assistant referees to move the goal posts, the new head should dispatch the tailmost two members of his team to move it, loudly shouting orders to them, after which they rejoin the worm.

10. The new head sets the die for the next turn. If a team fails to move, the die is passed back one person, who decides the number for the next turn. A worm may temporarily break hands in order to set the die in this case.

11. Since each turn will likely have new players choosing speeds, the teams may always review the previous bidding. Hence, the referee's pad of recorded bids for each team . . .

12. If you have enough players that each team has a separate die setter who is not part of the worm, this player may be voted out of the position by the worm. At least four worm members must agree who is to swap places with the die setter, and the old die setter takes that person's place in the worm.

13. The first team to get one person through the goal post wins - the referee is the final arbiter on whether or not a person is considered through the goalpost.

Enjoy!

NOTE: After reading the above, Brian Bankler wrote me: I don't know about Live Action, but we've always considered getting some cones and rope (for a finish line), 35 tupperware dishes (of 5 colors) and 5 sets of those round things on springs (to denote worm heads) and playing on a lawn or quad.

To which I reply:

This sounds like a lot of fun! You could play with a lot less people that way, too. I'll have to try it myself sometime - thanks for the idea.

AND Kevin McGowan suggests making simple hats from the appropriate colored cloth for team identification (and morale, I'm sure!). Excellent idea! He also suggest making up large cards instead of using dice so teams can flip them up simultaneously and be seen from a distance away.

-Review and variants from 1997

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simonh — 2006-07-02T12:21:53+00:00

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simonh — 2006-07-02T11:40:08+00:00

The race is on!

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simonh — 2006-07-02T10:30:52+00:00

Ready to Race

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simonh — 2006-07-02T08:58:03+00:00

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simonh — 2006-07-02T07:53:41+00:00

The four camel herders.

Thread: Some Rule Questions

hclerx — 2004-11-09T09:34:33+00:00

I've got two questions about the rules.

1. If you bid X, and choose to move the lowest allowed number, do you get to take your turn first, or does the one who bid X always moves last? This since the rules state that "the player with the lowest bid moves their worm first".

2. Do you have to cross the finish line or can the finish line cross you?

Thread: Session Report

lorna — 2004-10-06T13:41:23+00:00

Well, since no one has written a session report for Wurmeln lately I'll add in a report from the Eugene Games Gala. I had recently acquired this game (getting difficlt to get a copy now) and was glad to have a chance to try it. We had a few minutes as one game finished and we were waiting for another group to finish as well. I pulled out the worm racing game and got a few volunteers.
Christina, Rita, Eric and I started our worms off. The worms consist of 7 segments and you move them by simultaneously revealing a die numbered 3-7 and a X. If you pick a number that no one else has picked you move that many segments of worm in any direction (generally toward the finish line). You are allowed to cut in front of other worms as well. If you choose the X you can either move any number not already picked or move one end of the finish line.
I got off to a fast start with some 7 and sixes and then the finish line started getting moved! Christina managed to almost get across the finish line but was a few segments short. On my turn I was also a bit short and she won by a nose (if worms have them).
Silly-yes, random-yes, luck-yes, bluff-yes, all the elements tha I usually don't enjoy in a game but here they make perfect sense!
At any rate it's short enough to make a pleasant filler with the right crowd.

Thread: Session Report

MarkEJohnson — 2002-11-10T18:58:02+00:00

A quick filler to start the night. Erin, Ryan, Greg W. and I played this little game about worm racing. That's right, I said "worm racing." It's a cute and clever little game, something completely out-of-family from designer Alex Randolph (normally known for some pretty analytical abstract games). It uses simultaneous "bidding" where like bids cancel each other out. That basic mechanic is present in a number of games (Raj, Skyrunner, etc.), and it's not something that everyone enjoys. I like it okay in games that aren't too serious or lengthy, which is definitely the case with this game.

Thinking back, I believe our race should've been longer and curved, not the simple, straight "drag strip" I set up. Maybe we can try it again sometime like that. Anyway, Erin won our race, successfully picking 6's and 7's while others cancelled out with smaller numbers! And the coup de grace was choosing the X result on the final turn, allowing her to pivot the finish line so that her worm crossed. Bravo!

Thread: Session Report

PBrennan — 2002-03-23T03:22:40+00:00

Who would have thought there would be such a cool game in worm racing. Each worm is made up of 7 half-inch plastic shells that line up next to each other in a straight line on the table. No board or anything. Each player simultaneously reveals one of (3,4,5,6,7,X). Players who share the same number can’t move. Otherwise, if I’m to move 5 spaces, I pick up my last shell and place it next to my front shell, 5 times, either in a straight line, or bending around, or whichever which way, blocking off other worms, whatever. Even though the finish line starts straight ahead, selecting X allows you to not only choose any number no one else has, but also to shift the finish line - one end remains where it is, rotate the other end around it.

A bit of psychology, a bit of half-baked blocking, a bit of finsh-line-shifting. All the while watching these worms inch their way to the end. All over in 20 minutes or so. An excellent filler.

In our game, Nick was coming waaaay last, but gradually shifted the finish line to his side of the race, and made his poor position an advantage, from which he sneaked over just before the rest of us.

A rating of 7 after 1 game; good game, usually willing to play as a filler.

Thread: Session Report

gschloesser — 2001-01-01T06:00:00+00:00

Continuing with the silliness, Ted then introduced us to Wurmeln. Each player has a worm made up of small disks. The object is to race your worm across the table to the finish line. Worms move my transferring segments (disks) from the rear of the worm to the front of the worm in an amount equal to the movement die. Players are free to twist and turn their worm in whatever method they desire, which, of course, usually means cutting off the path of your opponents' worms.

Each player has a die numbered 3 - 7 (if I recall correctly) with one 'x'. They each secretly select which number they desire and reveal them simultaneously. If two or more players choose the same number, neither of them may move. If a player chooses the 'x', he can choose any number which has not already been chosen by an opponent. Further, that player may also pivot the finish line, making it easier for him to cross and more difficult for his opponents to cross. Players move in ascending order based on their numbers chosen. First worm to cross the finish line wins.

In spite of its silly theme, this game is actually quite fun and competitive. We had a hoot cutting each other's worms off and pivoting the finish line. Eventually, my worm proved to be the quickest.

Ratings: Mark 5, everyone else 6

Thread: Session Report

davekohr — 2001-01-01T06:00:00+00:00

(DaveO, Shay, JohnH, *Bernard*, CharlesP)

CharlesP: "Really cute game of racing segmented worms, trying to cut off the paths of the others on the way to the finish line. Movement is chosen with a hand-chosen die (sides 3-7 and X) with Raj mechanics; if more than one person chooses the same number, they lose their turns. Rear segments are moved to the front to move the worms, and the finish line can be moved around with the X die side. Great fun!"

Shay: "another fast fun game. Really recommended."

Thread: Session Report

davekohr — 2001-01-01T06:00:00+00:00

(Shay, RicB, MarcL, a few more):

RicB: "Shay basically sat on us until we played this. It wasn't too bad as it went. Thank you Shay.

Basically move your segmented worm (a series of buttons you take the last one and add it to the front, repeating based on your move number. Winner is the first across the finish line. Finish line can be moved by a player who chooses the X number move.

Certainly random, having that annoying mechanism that if two or more players choose the same movement number then none of them move. I can't see getting good at this game, but it seems to have a little more strategy involved than the average game of Button Men, and takes about the same amount of time."