Kabetopo Multiplayer Teaching Guide

Multiplayer
Kabetopo
Teaching Guide

Overview

New players may find that learning the Kabetopo ruleset can be overwhelming. It’s equally challenging for experienced players to teach the game to newbies. Outlined below is a step-by-step process that, if followed, will help experienced Kabetopo players teach the multiplayer game to newbies, making their learning curve as short as possible. There’s a lot of shorthand in this outline as it assumes that you’re already familiar with the ruleset. Gradually introduce game concepts, and explain edge cases only if necessary.

STEP 1 – Start with a game of monoliths ONLY.

For now, no portals and locks. Also, no scoring. Resource pool = 3 walls, 2 monoliths.

Before the game:

Introduce the basic objective, i.e. get stone from mountain, run to a home square other than your staring square (Tadaima).
Explain orthogonal movement, including leapfrogging.
Explain dropping walls and monoliths to block opponent’s progress. Also, explain bonus move with dropping monoliths.

—

During the game:

As spies reach The Mountain:
- If someone drops a wall which blocks a third mountain entrance, explain that there must be at least two paths open.
- Explain that you can go up The Mountain through an open path only, and can go down The Mountain to any orthogonal square even if there’s an obstacle.
- When the situation occurs, explain bumping, including the King Of The Mountain rule, i.e. no consecutive bumping.

STEP 2 – Play a few games (1 or 2 more) of monoliths only.

STEP 3 – Play a first game with both monoliths AND portals.

No locks. No scoring. Resource pool = 3 walls, 2 monoliths, 1 portal.

Before the game:

Introduce portal basics:
- You can exit any portal from any side.
- Must already be at the portal entrance to teleport.
- Can drop portal anywhere except home square edges. If dropping portal on an immediate edge, can teleport on same turn.

STEP 4 – Play another game of monoliths and portals.

STEP 5 – Play a 3rd game of monoliths and portals WITH advanced mechanics.

Resource pool = 3 walls, 2 monoliths, 1 portal, 1 lock.

Before the game:

Introduce more advanced mechanics:
- Explain locks, i.e. drop to lock one side of a portal.
- Explain doors, i.e. if three walls in a row, middle wall can be swung open. Monoliths cannot be doors.
- Explain breakthrough, i.e. if no walls or monoliths left in resource pool, you gain ability to breakthrough.

STEP 6 – Play a 4th game of monoliths and portals WITH scoring.

Resource pool = 3 walls, 2 monoliths, 1 portal, 1 lock.

Before the game:

Introduce scoring:
- Explain what a natural home square is.
- Explain scoring system: 1st Tadaima = 3, 2nd Tadaima = 2, 3rd Tadaima = 1, 1st Stone = 2, 2nd Stone = 1, Natural Tadaima = 1.

STEP 7 – Continue with a full 4-game match.

Before the game:

Explain reason for rotating and why a match is 4 games, i.e. everyone experiences the same advantages and disadvantages with each spy.

SCRIPT OUTLINE

Introduce the game, including the objective
Explain that on your turn, you have only two options – move or use a resource.
Explain the three types of moving:
1. Basic
2. Leapfrogging
3. Teleporting
Explain each resource:
1. Wall
2. Monolith
3. Portal
4. Lock
Introduce the mountain:
1. Must have two or more open paths.
2. Going up and down the mountain.
3. Bumping.
Introduce doors.
Explain the endgame:
1. Explain Tadaima.
2. Round ends when 3 players declare Tadaima.
3. Explain scoring system.
Play the game.
Explain that there are four rounds and why.

SCRIPT

“So this is Kabetopo, and abstract strategy game for two players. The objective is simple. One, maneuver your runner to the center mountain to obtain a stone. Two, make a mad dash to any corner square other than your starting square. Simple, but here’s the catch: you’re racing against opponents who are trying to do the same thing. There are walls in your way. Your opponents can throw even more walls your way, but you can return the favor. And in the middle of all this…portals!

“So this is how the gameplay goes. On your turn, you can either move or use a resource. First, lets discuss moving. There are three types of moving. One, basic moving: you can move orthogonally – up or down, left or right. You can’t move diagonally. You also can’t move onto a square that’s already occupied. The exception is the four corner squares. Multiple runners can be on those squares.

“Two, leapfrogging: If two runners are on touching squares, one can leapfrog the other. You can even leapfrog multiple runners.

“Three, teleporting: If you’re at the entrance to a portal, you can teleport to any other portal and exit any side. Both sides are considered an entrance and an exit.

“These are your resources. This is a wall. You can drop it anywhere to impede your opponents. You just can’t drop a wall if it blocks off a corner, or if it ends up trapping a runner.

“This is a monolith. It’s like a wall, but after you drop one, you get an extra move.

“This is a portal. It acts like any other portal, but you can drop it anywhere except along corner squares or the edge of the board. If you drop one, that’s your turn. But if you drop one along an edge of your immediate square, you get to teleport in the same turn.

“This is a lock. If you drop a lock on a portal. It locks that side of the portal for the rest of the round. But it just locks that side of the portal. The other side is still usable, unless the portal gets double locked. If you drop a lock, you also get an extra move.

“This is the mountain

Multiplayer KabetopoTeaching Guide

Overview

Multiplayer
Kabetopo
Teaching Guide