Martian Tic-Tac-Toe

for two players

What you need

Two stashes of Icehouse pieces, each consisting of three pieces of each size of one color.
Additional Equipment: A three-by-three tic-tac-toe grid. Make sure it is big enough to hold the large pieces.

Playing Time

5-15 minutes

Overview

This is Tic-Tac-Toe as it might have been played thousands of years ago on Mars.

Setup

Each player starts with a stash consisting of three small pieces, three medium pieces, and three large pieces, all of one color.

Playing the game

Players take turns making moves. On each player's first turn, that player must place a small piece into a square. After that, on his or her turn, each player may make one of the following moves:

Place a small piece from your stash into an empty square.
Swap one of your pieces in play with a piece from your stash (up to one size larger or any size smaller). Put the swapped-out piece back in your stash.
Capture an opponent's piece. Replace one of your opponent's pieces in play with a piece from your stash. The capturing piece must be exactly one size larger (no more, no less) than the captured piece. Return the captured piece to the opponent's stash.

Winning

A player wins when he or she has three pieces in a row horizontally, vertically, or diagonally (forming a straight line) of the same size and of his or her color.

Variations

Use a larger board. Try a four-by-four, five-by-five, or eight-by-eight (chessboard) grid. If using a four-by-four grid, use four pieces of each size per color, and win with four in a row of one size of your color; on a five-by-five grid or larger, use all five pieces of each size per color, and win with five in a row of one size of your color.

Multiplayer. Play this on a checkers or chess board. Martian Tic-Tac-Toe can be played with three or four players. It is suggested to use all of the pieces of each color on a larger board.

The Official Icehouse Home Page

Chris's Home Page

Designed by Chris Goodwin. Playtested (so far) by Chris and Lisa Goodwin, Dan and Marsha Brussee. Blindtested by Kory Heath and friends.