Icelights - an Icehouse/Chess Variant
Icehouse pieces, invented by Andy Looney, are these really neat acrylic pieces that come in lots of colors and are great for playing a whole pile of different games. Ever since I found them I've been delighted with their simpicity and flexibility.
There are a lot of games I like to play with Icehouse pieces. I've even gotten into the habit of carrying some stashes around with me everywhere I go, just in case I find someone who wants to play a game or two to pass the time.
Here's a local game that's proven to be a lot of fun. If you remember a computer game called "Laser Chess" that made the rounds in a lot of the computer magazines (you even had to type it in yourself, remember those days?) back in the 80's, it's pretty similar.
Icelights
is played on a standard 8x8 chessboard rotated 45º counterclockwise.
The board is lain out like so:
In the corner, make a tree out of three pieces. This is your Tower. Towers can move one space at a time.
On either side of it, lay down a large capped by a small (if your board is too small, just use a small piece. These are Beamers. Beamers may move up to two spaces at a time.
Ahead of those, lay down four medium pieces. These are Icelights. Icelights may move up to three spaces at a time.
On his turn, a player does the following, in any order:
Moves a piece: Pieces may move in any direction, including backwards, but the whole move must be in that same direction (no "jinking"). Movement is only done across the edges of the squares, you may not move across points. When you move a Beamer or Icelight, keep it pointing in the same direction it was pointing before it began its move.
Orients a piece: Icelights and Beamers may be pointed towards any edge of the square they inhabit.
You may move and orient the same piece in the same turn, if you so wish.
At then end of each turn, all the Beamers "fire" simultaneously. Trace a straight line from the point of each Beamer until it hits something or the edge of the board. Beams that hit other Beamers stop, as do beams that go off the board.
If it hits an Icelight, though...shing!
|
|
A
beam that hits the back of an Icelight simply passes through.
|
 |
A
beam that hits the side of an Icelight is reflected internally and
comes out the point.
|
 |
A
beam that hits the point of an Icelight is absorbed and goes no
further.
|
Any player's Icelights will affect the beam, it doesn't matter which player's Beamer fired it.
If any beam hits a Tower, that Tower's player loses the game. Since firing is resolved simultaneously, it is possible for both players to lose. It is also possible to cause yourself to lose by not planning carefully.
If no Tower is eliminated when the Beamers fire, play proceeds to the next player's turn.
In this example, Green has just eliminated Red.
