SiTTeRS - Simple Table Top Rule Set

This is a board and rule set for a simple table top role playing game that I've been developing with my (six year old) daughter. It should be quite well suited to beginners and young children.

I've developed and released some simple computer games in the past, but never a traditional table top or pen and paper game. My table top gaming career so far has been pretty much limited to Monopoly and Scrabble, I've never played anything like Dungeons & Dragons, Magic The Gathering, Settlers of Cataan, etc. Please temper your expectations accordingly!

We have played this game a few times, and each playthrough lasted between 15 and 30 minutes.

It can easily be expanded to team play where a team of siblings/friends collaborate on decisions and control the "collectors" as a team. Other group play options might be to take rounds in turn, or even each control their own specific markers, lots of possibilities to experiment with...

This game could be packaged as a simple single player computer game with basic AI controlling the obstructors (I'm thinking a web browser game, or mobile app, or maybe a retro spectrum or game boy ROM!). It could also form a sub module in a larger game (see strategic combat in Gurk, or triple triad in FF8, etc).

The tabletop game itself could be expanded such that the survivors go on to delve into a fresh board... A single game could last for hours or days or weeks. I personally prefer to limit it to short self contained sessions!

GAME BOARD

+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
| C |   |   | X | X | X | X | X | O | O |
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
| C |   |   | X | X | X | X | X |   | O |
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+----+
| C |   |   | X | X | X | X | X | X |   | SZ |
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+----+
| C |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | SZ |
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+----+
| C |   |   | X | X | X | X | X | X |   | SZ |
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+----+
| C |   |   | X | X | X | X | X |   | O |
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+
| C |   |   | X | X | X | X | X | O | O |
+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+

PLAYING PIECES

• 1 x Game board (We drew the board on a sheet of A3 - 4cm square spaces)
• 1 x D6 (We borrowed from a junior monopoly set - standard die)
• 4 x "Collector" markers (We borrowed from a junior monopoly set - player pieces)
• 6 x "Obstructor" markers (We used some small my little pony figurines)
• 8 x "Container" markers (We borrowed from a standard monopoly set - hotel pieces)
• 1 x Pen or pencil
• 1 x Piece of paper

SETUP

• Decide which player will control the "collectors" and which will control the "obstructors"...
• The player controlling the "collectors" places four container markers on any "X" spaces of their choice (maximum one marker per space)
• The player controlling the "obstructors" places four container markers on any "X" spaces of their choice (maximum one marker per space)
• The player controlling the "collectors" places their markers on their preferred "C" spaces (maximum one marker per space)
• The player controlling the "obstructors" places their markers on the "O" spaces (one marker in each space)

THEME

The theme has been intentionally left wide open. It could be left as an unthemed abstract "red versus blue" or "black versus white" game, or a thematic layer could be added...

Examples:

• a party of courageous dungeon delvers (collectors) looting gold (loot) from chests (containers) and being attacked by monsters (obstructors)
• a crew of space pirates (collectors) scavenging components (loot) from a space station's control panels (containers) and being obstructed by sentry bots (obstructors)
• a gang of burglars (collectors) stealing valuables (loot) from houses (containers) and being opposed by police officers (obstructors)

OBJECTIVES

• The player controlling the "collectors": Guide as many collector markers as possible to the safe zone, collecting as much loot as possible along the way.
• The player controlling the "obstructors": Defeat the collectors before they reach the safe zone, and try to stop them from collecting any loot.

SCORING NOTES

• Score is calculated when the game ends (no collector markers left on the board).
• If score > 50 collectors win. If score < 50 obstructors win. If score = 50 draw game.
• The game can result in a draw even if all collector pieces reach the safe zone (very little loot collected), or if lots of loot is collected (and none or few collector pieces reach the safe zone).

SCORING TABLE

            SURVIVING COLLECTORS
         +----+----+----+----+----+
         |  0 |  1 |  2 |  3 |  4 |
   +-----+----+----+----+----+----+
   |  0+ | 10 | 20 | 30 | 40 | 50 |
   +-----+----+----+----+----+----+
L  |  8+ | 20 | 30 | 40 | 50 | 60 |
O  +-----+----+----+----+----+----+
O  | 16+ | 30 | 40 | 50 | 60 | 70 |
T  +-----+----+----+----+----+----+
   | 24+ | 40 | 50 | 60 | 70 | 80 |
   +-----+----+----+----+----+----+
   | 32+ | 50 | 60 | 70 | 80 | 90 |
   +-----+----+----+----+----+----+

RULES OF PLAY

• A round consists of two collector turns followed by a single obstructor turn.
• Rounds keep being played repeatedly until the game is over.
• The game is over once no collector markers remain on the board (all are either defeated or have made it to the safe zone).
• On each turn the player rolls the die, and moves one of their active board markers that number of spaces.
• If a 6 is rolled, the player can opt to forfeit their move and return one of their defeated markers back onto the board (place on any free starting space - "C" for a collector or "O" for an obstructor)
• Markers can only move in up/down/left/right directions (no diagonal movements).
• If a marker lands on an occupied space (either occupied by an opponent or container marker) it must stop at that space (no passing) and the turn ends.
• Collector markers that enter the safe zone are immediately removed from the board and added to the survivors tally - they cannot under any circumstances return to the game board.
• Markers cannot enter a space already occupied by another marker of the same type.
• Obstructor markers are not allowed to enter the safe zone or spaces occupied by a container marker.
• Where a collector marker occupies the same space as a container marker, the collector player must roll again - the container marker is removed from the board and the die face value is added to the loot tally.
• Where a collector marker occupies the same space as an obstructor marker, both players must roll again to battle - highest value wins (both re-roll on draw) and the defeated marker is removed from the board.

CLOSING NOTES

If you play this game, make your own modified version, or use it as part of a larger project, I'd love to hear about it! Contact me at theinvader360@gmail.com or visit www.theinvader360.com to find my socials...