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Copyright 2020, Phil Leduc
Springtime is an abstract puzzle-based game for two players in which players sow their flower tokens across a 9 x 9 board consisting of regions: nine rows, nine columns, and nine or more irregular-shaped colored areas called fields. The goal of the game is to score the most points by obtaining a majority of tokens in each of these 27+ regions.
Components
Components
28 flower tokens in two colors, two sets of 14.
Nine, 3 x 3, landscape tiles with squares in four colors in various patterns, pale green (meadows) light green (pastures), dark green (forests), and blue (lakes). See the Sample Set up diagram.
Set Up
Set Up
A 9 x 9 playing area is created by randomly combining the landscape tiles. The tiles can be rotated. For scoring purposes, squares on different tiles of the same color that share a common edge are considered part of the same field region. Players should attempt to create nine or more fields within the playing area. Regions can be as small as one square.
Players select and take into reserve a set of 14 flower tokens.
The youngest player is declared the first player. It is recommended that a pair of games be played with each player having an opportunity to play first. Total score from both games determines the overall winner. A third game should be used to break a tie.
Figure 1. One of many set up configurations
Game Play
Game Play
The first player places a stack of two flower tokens on any empty space.
Note: Stacks of two will be used to indicate the last token placement. Think of the stack as a placed token with a move indicator on top. Alternately, players could fashion a bumble bee move indicator.
Placement Rules
Placement Rules
On a player’s turn, if possible, the player must place a new token on the board using the following placement rules:
Daisy Chain Rule: The selected square must be empty and in line (horizontally, vertically, or diagonally) with the opponent’s last placed token as indicated by a stack of two tokens.
Figure 2. Daisy Chain Rule
Blue has just played to a4. The Daisy Chain rules implies Green must play to an empty square in row 4 (horizontally), or in column a (vertically) or diagonally in line with the stack at a4. The possibilities are indicated with yellow dots. There are two other restrictions that will reduce these choices further.
Blue has just played to a4. The Daisy Chain rules implies Green must play to an empty square in row 4 (horizontally), or in column a (vertically) or diagonally in line with the stack at a4. The possibilities are indicated with yellow dots. There are two other restrictions that will reduce these choices further.
2. Adjacency Rule: A player must never place a token in any empty square that is horizontally or vertically adjacent to a square containing a token (or stack). Diagonal adjacency is permitted!
3. Maximum Rule: Each row and column can contain at most three tokens of any color (stacks count as one token). Fields can contain any number of tokens!
Once a suitable square is found, the player creates a new stack in the selected square and returns one of the tokens from the opponent’s stack to his or her opponent for reuse.
Forgiveness
Forgiveness
If an incorrect placement is made, the mistake should be pointed out and corrected before the next player places a token. If not, the error stands.
Figure 3. Adjacency Rule
Green cannot play horizontally or vertically adjacent to an occupied square. The red dots indicate squares that cannot be used because there are tokens adjacent to the empty square (to the left, right, above or below). Green must play a token to any of the remaining yellow dotted squares. Note that a token on a8, b4, or b3 would also violate the Maximum (of three) Rule!
Green cannot play horizontally or vertically adjacent to an occupied square. The red dots indicate squares that cannot be used because there are tokens adjacent to the empty square (to the left, right, above or below). Green must play a token to any of the remaining yellow dotted squares. Note that a token on a8, b4, or b3 would also violate the Maximum (of three) Rule!
Game End
Game End
If a player cannot place a token following the placement rules, the game ends and scoring takes place. See Figure 4, End Game Example.
Figure 4. End Game Example
Green made the last move to h8. Blue cannot play a token to any of the squares marked in red. The squares with a red triangle cannot be used as this would create columns or rows with more than three tokens. The squares with a red circle cannot be used as this would place a token horizontally or vertically adjacent to a previously placed token. Some of the indicated squares violate both rules, but it only takes one violation to eliminate the use of a square.
Green made the last move to h8. Blue cannot play a token to any of the squares marked in red. The squares with a red triangle cannot be used as this would create columns or rows with more than three tokens. The squares with a red circle cannot be used as this would place a token horizontally or vertically adjacent to a previously placed token. Some of the indicated squares violate both rules, but it only takes one violation to eliminate the use of a square.
Figure 5. Scoring Example
Scoring
Scoring
At game’s end, each row, column, and field is polled to determine who if anyone has a majority of tokens in the region and the difference in counts is added to the majority player’s score. The game is won by the player with the highest total score. Ties are resolved by a free placement given to the player who could not place a token and who triggered the end of the game. If that player can find a placement into any empty square that satisfies the adjacency rule as well as the maximum of three tokens rule and increases her or his score, that player wins; otherwise, the player who made the last move during the game wins!
A convenient method to obtain a player’s total score is to find subtotals for rows, columns, lakes (blue), forests (dark green), pastures (light green) and meadows (pale green) then to add these subtotals to get a final total for the player. Here Green wins 17 to 16. See the Table 1 below.
Solo/Cooperative Puzzle Variant
Solo/Cooperative Puzzle Variant
Set up
Set up
The same tiles are used to create a 9-by-9 layout but can only use nine field regions during the game. One simple set up might look like a Sudoku grid (Use the tiles and ignore the colors), but finding other layouts is part of the challenge and more interesting.
Figure 6. A Sudoku layout for cooperative/solo play
Figure 7. This solo layout will accept 18+ flower tokens
Goal
Goal
The goal of the game is to help each other fill in as many flowers on the board as possible such that every row, column, and field (on those selected) has exactly one flower token, then exactly two tokens, and finally three tokens. Note that the colors of the flowers do not matter.
Game Play
Game Play
This game can be played with one or more players. Players take turns placing flower tokens in any empty square that is not horizontally or vertically adjacent to any previously placed token.
Game End and Scoring
Game End and Scoring
When the team cannot find any legal space to play, they score the total number of tokens that they were able to place on the board. A perfect score is 27! How close can you come to perfection?
Acknowledgements
Acknowledgements
The game of Springtime was inspired by the logic puzzles called Parks designed by Italian software developer Andrea Sabbatini. The puzzles are very addictive to those who like logic and spatial related puzzles and are very highly recommended. There are literally hundreds of Parks 9 x 9 puzzles that can be adapted for use in Springtime games. Just one of these puzzles can be used to generate hundreds of Springtime game boards. There are several Parks puzzle apps that can be downloaded for free for use on smartphones and tablets. Click here to visit Andrea's Logic Games site and read about the Parks apps and much more. The puzzles can be truly challenging. The goal in Parks puzzles is to place either one or two trees in each row, column, or field. Trees may not be horizontally, vertically or diagonally adjacent to any other tree.
Copyright (c) 2020, Phil Leduc
Copyright (c) 2020, Phil Leduc
Please note that these game rules may be duplicated and distributed via the web but the rules may not be altered and full credit must be given to the designer, Phil Leduc. Otherwise, all rights are reserved. Those that wish to program or sell this game in any form should contact the author at philleduc.pled@gmail.com for permission or a license to do so.
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