Looney Labs Icehouse Mailing list Archive

[Icehouse] Treehouse Chutes & Ladders

  • FromBryan Stout <stoutwb@xxxxxxxxx>
  • DateWed, 1 Jul 2009 10:21:17 -0400
After getting back from Origins last year, I was obsessed with Fluxx,
and came up with several sets of expansion cards for it.  Now after my
second Origins, and my first as a Rabbit, I am expanding my creative
endeavors to the pyramid games.  The first thing that came to mind was
a Treehouse version of Chutes & Ladders, for 2-5 players:

Take 1 Treehouse set, a Chutes & Ladders board, and 2 dice.  Here is a
summary of the idea:
- Every player takes 1 color of pyramids and starts them just outside
the #1 space.  On the first turn, roll 1 die and move 1 piece
normally.
- On every other turn, roll 2 dice, and use one roll for one of your
pieces, the other one for a piece belonging to another player.
- Any piece stopping on an occupied square stacks on top of it.
- Any piece in a stack that is not completely covered can be moved
with a die roll, taking all the pyramids above it with it, and leaving
the pyramids below it behind.
- The winner is the first one to get all 3 of his pieces to square
#100.  Shared wins are possible.

I have already played it several times with my family.  This makes
Chutes & Ladders an amazingly fun game, with lots of move options,
player interaction (send the leader down a slide!), and tactics (piggy
back off another piece's move).

I have written up a more detailed rules description, and now I have
some questions:

1.  I have not added to the Icehouse Wiki before.  Is there some sort
of template I can go by to fill out?

2.  What are the general guidelines to tell when your game is Ready
for Playtesting / Almost Completed / Completed?

3.  Are there any problems that come from using pyramids with a
commercial game?  Should I not post it on the Wiki at all, or post it
with an acknowledgment of the copyright, or get their permission
first, or what?

Thanks,
Bryan