IceDice

IceDice
Andy Looney
Players roll dice to select pieces, but roll the same color twice and lose everything you gained this turn!
:Players	Players:	2 - 4
:Time	Length:	Medium
:Complexity	Complexity:	Medium
Trios per color:		1 per player
Number of colors:		5
Pyramid trios:
Monochr. stashes:		5
Five-color sets:		1 per player
- - - - - - Other equipment - - - - - -
Pyramid die, Color die
Setup time:		1 minute to arrange the Bank
Playing time:		3 Minutes - 20 minutes
Strategy depth:		Low
Random chance:		High
Game mechanics:		Push your luck, Set Building
Theme:		Abstract
BGG Link:		IceDice
Status: Complete (v1.0), Year released: 2011

IceDice is a very easy, quick-playing press-your-luck game for two or more players. The game uses 1 Treehouse set for each player along with a special pair of dice, the eponymous IceDice. It's best with 2 players, but more players can be added with more sets.

The game along with Twin Win made up Ice Duo in the Pyramid Quartet

Before Pyramid Arcade the game was sold by Looney Labs as the cornerstone of the Pyramid franchise, with 2 rainbow sets, both dice, and a lovely pyramid-shaped cloth bag.

Overview

IceDice is played by rolling dice to collect Pyramid pieces. On your turn, roll the 2 IceDice dice, and take what piece you roll. You may roll the dice as many times as you want in a turn, but if you roll the same color twice in the same turn, you bust. Everything you gained in the turn goes back to the bank, and your turn is over.

The first person to collect enough parts to build 3 complete trees of any color wins!

Rules

Assemble the Pyramids in the Bank in some order. Each player should define an area as their Vault, and a space should be recognized as the Counter. These areas might be "this side of the table" and "that side of the table" or they might be more clearly defined in some way.

To begin a turn, the player should roll both dice. Here is what the two dice indicate:

The Color Die

• Red
• Blue
• Green
• Yellow
• Black
• Wild

The Pyramid Die

• Small
• Medium
• Large
• Small & Medium
• Small & Large
• Medium & Large

What To Do

Whatever combination is rolled should be moved from the Bank to the Counter. At the end of your turn, move all pieces to your own Vault. You should probably be careful not to mix your Vault with the Counter, or the Bank.

The Wild Atom Symbol

The "Atom" symbol on the color die is a wild, and may be used as any color. However, you may not use it to claim a color you have already claimed this turn. If you roll a red, then you roll a wild, you can't turn the wild into red.

Ending Your Turn

The player's turn will end one of two ways.

The player may simply choose to end their turn, at any time. Place all pieces on the Counter into their Vault. If the player has enough pieces in the Vault to make 3 complete, solid trees, that player is immediately the winner.

However, if the player just rolled the dice, and the Color die indicates a color already on the Counter, all pieces on the Counter go back into the Bank, and that player's turn is over. The next player rolls the dice and starts placing pieces on the Counter.

Stealing Pieces

An extremely important aspect of the game is stealing pieces from your opponent. If you roll a color/size combination that does not exist in the Bank, but your opponent does have that piece in their Vault, then you must steal it from their Vault! Stolen pieces are placed on the Counter as usual. This should be used to strategic gain, if an opponent is getting close to winning!

If you steal something from your opponent (such as a small red) and then roll the same color that you stole (roll another red on the dice), then you still bust. That piece you stole goes back to the Bank -- and not back to the other player's Vault.

Rainbow Bonus

There are 5 colors in the IceDice set. If, in a single turn, any player manages to roll all 5 colors without any duplicates, that player may immediately put all pieces on the Counter into their Vault, and start rolling the dice again as if they just started their turn. It is as if they got a Free Turn. It is possible (if unlikely) to get more than one Rainbow Bonus during a single turn.

Examples

You and an opponent start a game. You assemble the Bank, and the two of you decide You wll start the game.

You roll a "Red" and a "Small," then you would put a small red on the counter.

You are feeling conservative and decide to end your turn now. You put the small red in your vault.

Your opponent rolls a "Blue" and a "Small/Medium" and so she places a small blue on the counter.

Your opponent rolls again and gets a "Small" and a "Red." There is still another Small Red in the Bank, so she places that on the Counter as well.

Your opponent ends her turn, and places both pieces in her Vault.

You roll a "Red" and a "Small," which is sort of too bad because you already have one of those. However, there is no longer a small red in the bank. You take the small red out of your opponent's vault, and place it on the counter. Your opponent is probably not very happy about that. =)

You roll a "Wild" and a "Large." You cannot turn the Wild into a Red, since you already have a Red piece on the counter, so you take a Large Blue.

You roll a "Red" and a "Medium." You bust immediately, and put both pieces on the Counter into the Bank, and hand the dice to your opponent.

The game continues thus.

History

IceDice (formerly known as IceGlotz-17) is a Looney pyramid game designed by Andrew Looney. It was slated as the new pyramid sales vehicle, scheduled to be published in Autumn 2011. Shipment was delayed by a couple months, due to packaging issues and a dispute with European safety inspectors.

It was the first Looney game to be packaged in the new cloth, pyramidal bags. It was also the first Looney game to use parts manufactured in China.

Thw blue bag edition included the rules for Launchpad 23.

Links

• Sample game on YouTube
• 2011 Promo video on YouTube