Digital world

There is a fully playable web version of the game available for testing. Remember to read the rules beforehand, since the game does not include any help or tutorials. The user interface of the version is rather ugly, but it is made mainly for presenting the game and its mechanics. I am currently working on a mobile version, which will - hopefully - be available on various platforms during the autumn.

About the design process

I have written rather long explanations of the design process of Trickle. Unfortunately these are in Finnish, and it is a well known fact that machine translators just can't cope with our modest language. Anyway, if you can read Finnish or are willing to try the translation machinces, here are the links:

http://pelisuunnittelija.blogspot.fi/2013/01/pelisuunnittelun-tapaustutkimus.html
http://pelisuunnittelija.blogspot.fi/2013/04/kuinka-nimeamattomasta-lasihelmipelista.html

Larger changes to rules

When you get bored to the basic game, try also these, a bit more laborous variants:

Beads have scores

Give each bead a score value. Write numbers on small stickers and glue them on beads. I suggest the values vary between 1-5 and the distribution is something like 9* 1 points, 6*2 points 3*3 points and one 5 point bead.

First, try setting them up in some order, where 5 point stone is in the center and others are in some symmetrical positions.

Next, try setting them up in random order around the center.

Play the game, try to analyze the good and bad sides of each combination, and compare the changed versions to the original one.

Goals have scores

Try giving the edge hexes score values. For example 3 points for the 2 in the middle and 1 point for the ones closer to corners. Or another way round, since it is more beneficial to put the beads in the middle.

Rule variants

Here are a couple of rule variants that were tried during the design process. New ideas for variants are highly appreciated.

Move from corner

If a bead is run into a corner hex, it still can be moved according to the general moving rules. This means the players can move it to an empty hex next to the corner hex, or jump over a bead that is in a hex next to the corner one. The strategic value of corners changes a bit.

Move along my edge

The players can move beads along the edge they own. This gives the players a chance to steal beads from the corners (using Move from corner -rule) and make room for beads that have been stacking next to the edge row.

Jump off the board

The beads are not stored on the outermost hex row, but moved off-board. The edges still have owners and the player owning the edge where the bead goes off-board gets the point. This changes the size of the playable area of the board, but also the significance of corner hexes, since the bead can be moved to either edge from a corner.

Checkers move chaining

When player jumps over a bead, she can continue jumping, if there are legal jumps possible. Only jumping over beads can be chained, not moving to the adjacent hex.

What is this?

Trickle is a new, abstract board game in the spirit of the classic games, such as Chinese Checkers, Checkers and Go. It has very simple rules, but a lot of varying gameplay emerges from the simplicity of the game.

All of the game items can be controlled by any player, so there are no dedicated pieces for each player. This gives the game a unique strategic touch.

You can find the official rules here, or behind a link on the right.

Print a prototype game board for yourself.

Here you can find a Finnish text about the design process of the game.

The game has been designed by Jaakko Kemppainen (that's me).