3Will 3Up is a solo abstract strategy + procedural puzzle game that blends:
dice-driven randomness
spatial reasoning on a toroidal (wrap-around) board
stack manipulation mechanics
It sits somewhere between:
a logic puzzle (like solitaire variants), and
a systems-driven board game (like abstract combinatorial games).
The design leans heavily into emergent complexity from simple rules, which is one of its strongest qualities—but also one of its biggest barriers.
Single-player, round-based system
Each round = 4 plays (RGBY order)
Each play is dictated by 5 dice (4 identifiers + 1 direction)
This creates a rhythm:
Roll → interpret → execute → repeat → resolve round
Unlike turn-based games, there’s continuous procedural flow, which feels more like solving a system than competing.
Form a stack of 3 different colours
Continue stacking for points:
3 colours = 3 points
4 colours = 6 points
Same-number stacks = double points
👉 This creates a risk–reward push-your-luck layer, especially with:
voluntary retirement
minimum score requirement (6 points)
The dice are the core innovation:
4 coloured dice = identify which pieces move
1 white die = determines direction
Elegant mapping: colour → piece → number
High variability (huge state space)
Enables shared instruction sets for tournaments
High cognitive load:
Players must track piece identity + board position + direction charts
Interpretation friction:
Especially with direction chart orientation
The direction charts act like:
“local compasses that redefine movement directions per colour”
From the visuals:
Each colour has its own rotatable orientation system
Direction depends on:
die result
chart rotation
👉 This is very clever—but also the most mentally taxing element.
Impact:
Adds depth and spatial reasoning
But significantly slows down play, especially for new players
Key features:
Move 1 step per play
Board edges are connected (wrap-around)
👉 This effectively makes the board a torus, which:
Eliminates dead zones
Encourages continuous motion
Increases unpredictability
Max stack size: 2
Forced behaviors:
stacks move together
forced separation rules
ejection + injection system
Unbounded stacking (with constraints)
Stability rule:
stacks must have all different colours
Ejection / Injection
Ripple rejection (chain displacement)
👉 These are highly original mechanics and feel almost like:
physics simulations
or chain-reaction puzzles
Strength:
Deep emergent interactions
Rewards planning and visualization
Weakness:
Hard to internalize without repeated play
Two rare events:
Undirected free play (all 5 dice match)
Directed free play (4 identifier dice match)
These act as:
pressure valves
moments of player agency in a random system
Nice touch—adds excitement and control spikes.
The game delivers:
Pattern recognition
Spatial reasoning
Multi-step planning under randomness
But also:
Mental fatigue (“mind-numbing yet beguiling” is accurate)
~15 minutes for normal mode ✔️
Extended mode: open-ended (can drag without discipline)
Extremely high due to:
268+ billion starting configurations
Dice randomness
emergent stacking interactions
The tournament system is surprisingly sophisticated:
Shared dice results across players
Time banking system
Strategic retirement
Fairness (same inputs)
Encourages optimization
Adds meta-strategy (time vs score)
Requires an adjudicator
Setup complexity increases significantly
8×8 checkerboard ✔️
Clear contrast between spaces
Colored pieces are easy to distinguish
Numbered + colored → functional and readable
Visually thematic (compass-like)
But:
dense information
not instantly intuitive
The circular “gameplay flow” diagram is helpful conceptually
Arrows showing movement directions are a great teaching aid
Highly original system design
Deep emergent gameplay
Strong solo + tournament scalability
Excellent replayability
Clever use of dice as instruction generators
Innovative stacking mechanics
Steep learning curve
High cognitive load (especially direction charts)
Rule density (many exceptions and conditions)
Slower gameplay due to interpretation steps
Physical setup is somewhat demanding
Abstract strategy enthusiasts
Puzzle solvers
Systems thinkers
Solo board gamers who enjoy complexity
Casual players
People who prefer fast or intuitive gameplay
Those who dislike rule-heavy systems
3Will 3Up is a deeply experimental and intellectually demanding solo strategy game.
It excels as:
a systems puzzle disguised as a board game
Its brilliance lies in:
how simple components (dice + grid + stacking) create
a rich, evolving decision space
However:
its complexity and mental overhead will limit its accessibility.