IMPlosion

Designed by Shane Stewart (age 7)

Set up

Each player chooses a colour and receives the 6 imp cards, the imp and the 20 cubes of that colour, as well as a random screen. For games with less than 6 players, remove any remaining cards, imps, cubes and screens from the game.

Each player stands their screen on the table in front of and facing away from (i.e. the screen opening is facing the centre of the play area) and so that their screen is approximately the same distance from those of the players to their left and right. Each player places their imp standing on their head in the centre of their screen area. This imp will be the first component in their imp-stack. The screen is like “goalposts” and the imp-stack is like the “goalkeeper”. Each player places their 20 cubes outside the play area, e.g. behind the back of their screen.

Shuffle all chosen imp cards face down and place face down in a draw pile to the side of the play area.

Object of the game

To have the highest imp-stack at the end of the game.

How to play

ON EACH TURN

Reveal one card from the draw pile. Depending on the number, the following occurs:

1: The player with the corresponding colour takes one of their cubes (or a random cube if they have no cubes available), places it alongside their screen and flicks it. If the flicking player’s cube hits an opponent’s stack or screen, then that opponent must return any fallen cubes to their pile and any fallen cards to the discard pile. If the flicking player’s cube does not hit an opponent’s stack or screen, then they must take the number 1 card that was just revealed and place it flat on top of their own stack.

2-6: The player with the corresponding colour takes the number of cubes that correspond to the number on the card and attempts to place them one by one on top of their stack. If, during this process, any components fall, return the fallen components to their respective piles and continue placing cubes until the full number of cubes on the revealed card have been placed. For example, a red 3 is revealed so the red player takes 3 red cubes and attempts to place them on their stack, the first is added to the stack ok, the second knocks over both itself and the first cube placed, but the third is then added ok, leaving a net of one new cube added to the stack.

End game and scoring

The game ends after the final card of the draw pile has been revealed and the corresponding action has been taken.

Each player scores  1 point for each cube in their stack and ½ point for each card in their stack. The player with the most points is the winner.
If there is a tie, then the tied players determine the winner by a process of “sudden death”, both placing one cube simultaneously on their stack until any components fall from a stack. If all stacks fall simultaneously, then all tied players win.