Pentamid Twist

From Looney Pyramid Games Wiki
Pentamid Twist
Jeff Zeitlin
Get five pieces in a row
:Players Players: 2
:Time Length: Long?
:Complexity Complexity: Medium
Trios per color: 5
Number of colors: 2
Pyramid trios:
Monochr. stashes: 2
Five-color sets: 5
- - - - - - Other equipment - - - - - -
set of Martian Coasters
Setup time: 2 minutes
Playing time: 10 minutes - 60 minutes
Strategy depth: Medium
Random chance: None
Game mechanics: Placement, Dynamic board
Theme: Abstract
BGG Link:
Status: Complete (v1.0), Year released: 2013

Pentamid Twist is a two-player game played on a set of Martian Coasters with one stash per player. The objective is for a player to be the first to get five of his pieces in a row, horizontally, vertically, or diagonally.

Lay out the four Martian Coasters in a square. The alignments of the individual coasters makes no difference.

Each player starts with his pieces arranged in nests off the board (the "reserve").

The players use any method that seems good to them to decide who plays first. Play alternates.

A player's turn consists of two actions: the piece action, and the board action. Both actions are required, and must be taken in that order.

A piece action is either of the following:

  • Take the top piece from one of the player's reserve nests, and place ("drop") it on any vacant square on the board, OR
  • Move one of the player's pieces on the board one space horizontally or vertically. Any piece may move to a vacant square; a medium piece may move onto (and cover) a small piece belonging to either player, and a large piece may move onto (and cover) a small or medium piece belonging to either player, or onto a medium piece which is covering a small piece. A covered piece may not move; if the covering piece is moved, the covered piece is once again permitted to move. A covered piece does not count for making a line of five pieces.

The board action consists of rotating one of the four coasters in-place, either one-quarter of a turn in either direction, or one-half of a turn.

It is not permitted to knowingly duplicate an earlier game state.

The game ends when, after a player has taken the board action, there is a line of five uncovered pieces in a row, horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. The player whose pieces they are wins.

Variations[edit | edit source]

  • Restrict piece movement to following the arrows on the coasters.
  • Restrict piece movement to following the arrows on the coasters, allowing a piece to move up to its pip count.