GAME OVERVIEW

Genre: Board Game

Players: 2+

Age range: 3+

Setup time: < 5 minutes

Playing time: 3+ Minutes

Random chance: None

Skill required: Manual dexterity

Description: Players set up their board by placing all the blocks in the board and setting a man in the middle of the board, and the block stick together through shared compression. Players pick their ‘Mallets’ given and a player should volunteer/decide to begin the turn. Player now try’s to “breaks the ice” by hitting the blocks and making them drop out of the board. Whose ever turn the man in the middle drops out of the board that person loses.

Gameplay Reference:  https://youtu.be/PUvsjdcnIOM

SYSTEMS

OBJECTS

Mallets (To hit the blocks): Each player in the game have 1 Mallet each. The player who “Breaks the ice” while making the man fall down loses the game.

Blocks (Ice): The blocks are basically the board of the game. Board is comprised of 32 Block spaces (6×6 Style) but there is a huge 4x size block space to place the Red man under a big block. And whenever the man placed in the middle falls while breaking the ice, depending on whose turn the man fell in, that player loses the game.

Red Man: The Red man is placed in the middle of the board with the help of the big block and depending on whose turn the man falls on the ground, that ‘turn’ player loses the game. 

 

ATTRIBUTES

Starting Position: After picking the “Mallets” used to play the game players now will have decide on who will start the turn. It may be either by toss, decision or volunteer, etc.., and after picking the starter, the starter will have to “Break the ice” make a block fall (anywhere on the board) down to end their turn.

Break the Ice: So players keep switching turns by breaking the ice. And both of the player’s objective is to, not letting the man fall down. Player shouldn’t try to hit two blocks at once.

Ending Position: When the man falls down the game ends. And the winner is decided. The end board position can’t be decided as it depends on will and actions.

Attributes of objects explained above.

RELATIONSHIP

Player and Mallet: Player should try to hit the blocks with the mallet and shouldn’t interact with the board in any other way. Depending on the physical power of player the mallet breaks the ice as such.

Mallet and Block: Mallet on hitting the block, the block falls out of the board.

Block and Red Man: Due to the integrity of the blocks surrounding the Red man, they state the stability and the state of the red man and they say whether the red man is about to fall or not.

 

ENVIRONMENT

The environments consists of the Board and the Blocks with Mallets being held by players playing the game. After each game played the environment needs to be physically reset to the initial playing phase. And once the game ends, the environment cleans up with it. Besides the game environment, the game changes drastically by the terrain its being played and alters on climatic situations too. This game is best played indoors with enough room to setup.

 

UBIQUITY

FORMAL

Type: Closed

Only the game and its objects displayed above are considered the part of the game. Even though all the parts of the system are simple and interrelated the game changes depending on where the Red man is placed, but it is legal according to the rule book stated. The game follows its game system.

EXPERIENTIAL

Type: Open

With the player’s involvement into the game, they can alter the mechanics as they want. They can change the mallets, they can decide the number of blocks they want, etc.., the game objects here allow there to be emergent gameplay with anything given. The possibilities cannot be measured.

CULTURAL

Type: Open

Many versions of this game have been made depending on the geographical location and that regional culture. In this game the Red man has been changed to a bear, fictional character, a penguin, etc.., with different colors. And the board itself has been changed by number of blocks and the theme of “Break the ice” according to different regions. The game rules have been altered to give certain depth or remove what it had.