Rules Overview
Game design: David McDougal
A low-component, high-stakes abstract puzzle where every move is a calculated risk. Your 4×4 grid is a ticking clock of 16 dice, each one a resource you must zero out. Program four cards to four columns, but only if you win the Initiative battle. Every Movement costs 1 pip. Every Diamond is a deadly 2 pip kill shot. Every Club is a precious moment of protection.
Master the column lock, anticipate your opponent's programming, and race to be the first to reduce your grid to nothing. Perfect for tactical players who enjoy deterministic logic and ruthless efficiency.
Players: 1–2 Play Time: 20–30 minutes Ages: 10+ Mechanic: Pre-Programmed Actions
What You Need
- 1 standard 52-card deck
- 32 dice (16 per player)
- 2 player grids (4×4) (optional)
- 1 first player marker (optional)
Setup
Each player places sixteen dice into a four by four grid using this pattern from top to bottom (see player grid below):
- Column 1: 3, 6, 4, 5
- Column 2: 4, 5, 3, 6
- Column 3: 5, 4, 6, 3
- Column 4: 6, 3, 5, 4
Shuffle the deck and choose a starting player.
Game Structure
Each hand has multiple phases: Deal and Program, Initiative Reveal, Action Resolution, and Cleanup.
Deal and Program
Review and select cards in your hand, assigning them face down as follows:
- Assign one card to Column 1.
- Assign one card to Column 2.
- Assign one card to Column 3.
- The remaining card is placed face down to the side as your Initiative card.
Initiative Reveal
Reveal card 4. Ace high to two low. Suits break ties in the order Spades, Hearts, Diamonds, Clubs.
During Action Resolution, only the Initiative winner resolves Column 4. The loser discards their card without resolution. Winning Initiative represents gaining a momentary advantage, allowing a player to trigger the fourth programmed action this hand.
Action Resolution
Resolve Columns 1, 2, 3, then Column 4 if you won Initiative. Boards never interact, so players may resolve simultaneously.
Targeting a Column
A card targets its assigned column. If that column is empty, shift right to the next non-empty column. If none exist, the card fizzles.
Column Activation Limit
Each column may activate one die per hand. Once any die in that column has activated, the column becomes spent and cannot activate another die this hand. A spent column still contains dice and never causes a shift on its own. Shift occurs only when the assigned column contains no dice. When a shift occurs, the card moves to the next non-empty column and obeys the activation limit in that new column.
Die Eligibility
A die may activate once per hand. If that die later moves to another column, it remains ineligible.
Selecting a Die
- Use only dice in the targeted column.
- Use only dice that have not activated this hand.
- Use the highest pip die that is resolvable.
If no die is resolvable, the card fizzles.
Resolvable Die
A die is resolvable if the chosen action can be applied fully or partially without breaking any rule.
- Hearts on a five is allowed.
- Diamonds on a one is allowed.
- Movement requires a valid swap target.
- Face cards (J, Q, K, A) must use their suit powers.
Swap Movement (2–10 eligible)
Movement must involve two dice.
- The activated die swaps with a die to the right in the same row.
- Swap distance is unlimited.
- Empty spaces cannot be used.
Swap sequence:
- The dice exchange positions and keep their pip values during the exchange.
- The activated die takes minus one pip decay.
- The other die is unchanged.
Suit Powers (all cards eligible)
- Hearts: plus two, to a maximum of six.
- Diamonds: minus two; remove the die at zero.
- Spades: flip pairs (one↔six, two↔five, three↔four).
- Clubs: hold with no decay.
Column 4
Only the Initiative winner resolves Column 4. It follows all normal targeting and eligibility rules.
Fizzles
A card fizzles if the column has dice but none are resolvable, or if shift cannot find a non-empty column.
Cleanup
- Discard all cards.
- If needed, shuffle and complete dealing.
- Begin the next hand.
End of Game
- Elimination: remove all sixteen dice.
- Two-player deck timer: game ends after second deck exhaustion.
- Solo deck timer: ends when the last card of the first deck is dealt.
If Ending by Timer
- Most dice removed wins.
- If tied, lowest pip total in the 4th column wins.
- If still tied, shared victory.
Solo Mode
Solo mode plays the same as two-player with two modifications:
- After you program all 4 cards, reveal the top card from the undealt deck to determine the initiative winner; highest card wins.
- Adversary Favor: increase the lowest pip die in Column 4 by one if you lose Initiative.
Difficulty Variants
Easier
- Resolve all four cards.
- Allow one extra shuffle.
Hardcore
- Unresolved required suit powers add +1 to two of your lowest dice in two columns, maximum two dice, one per column.
- Diamonds reduce by one instead of two.
Player Aid
- Program Columns 1, 2, 3.
- Column 4 is Initiative.
- Shift only if empty.
- One activation per column per hand.
- One activation per die per hand.
- Swap right only.
- Hearts +2.
- Diamonds -2.
- Spades flip.
- Clubs hold.
- Initiative winner resolves Column 4.
Glossary
- Activated Die: used a card this hand.
- Spent Column: already activated one die.
- Resolvable Die: can accept the chosen action.
- Dynamic Shift: shifting to the next non-empty column.
- Fizzle: no effect.
- Swap Movement: exchanging two dice.
- Removal: die reduced to zero.
- Pip Decay: minus one pip after movement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Column Targeting and Shifting
When does shift happen?
Only when the assigned column contains no dice. If it has dice, even if they are all ineligible, it never shifts.
If a card shifts, does the column number change?
The card shifts, not the column. The card moves to the next non-empty column to the right.
Does shift ever skip over spent columns?
No. Spent columns still contain dice, so they never qualify for shift.
What if all columns to the right are empty?
The card fizzles.
Movement and Swap Rules
Can I swap into an empty space?
No. A swap must involve two dice. Empty spaces cannot be used.
Does the non-activated die take decay after a swap?
No. Only the activated die takes minus one pip decay after the exchange.
Can I swap multiple columns away?
Yes. Swap distance is unlimited, as long as there is a die in that row to the right.
If a die moves into a column that hasn't activated yet, can it activate?
No. A die that has activated is ineligible for the rest of the hand, regardless of where it moves.
Suit Powers and Resolution
Are partial suit effects allowed?
Yes. Hearts stopping at six and Diamonds reducing a die to zero are both legal.
What happens if Diamonds reduce a die from one?
It becomes zero and is removed.
Does Clubs prevent decay from movement or only from suit powers?
Clubs applies only when the suit power is used. Movement always causes minus one decay.
Does Spades flip zero?
No. Zero is removed and cannot be flipped. Only dice with values 1–6 may be flipped. Spades flips the die to its pair value (6↔1, 5↔2, 4↔3).
Face Cards?
Face cards are defined as Jack, Queen, King, Ace and always resolve the suit power if possible. Movement with face cards is not possible.
Initiative and Column 4
Can the Initiative winner skip resolving Column 4?
No. If Column 4 has a resolvable die, it must resolve like any other column.
Does Column 4 use the same targeting and shift rules as Columns 1–3?
Yes. Column 4 is resolved the same way; the only difference is access being contested.
What happens if Column 4 is empty for the Initiative winner?
It shifts to the right (none exist), so the card fizzles.
Fizzles and Hardcore Mode
If a column has dice but none are resolvable, does it shift?
No. It fizzles.
What triggers the Hardcore penalty?
Any time a card fizzles, apply plus one pip to the highest pip die in Column 1 (or next eligible column).
End-of-Deck and End-of-Game
What happens if the deck runs out mid-deal?
Shuffle the discard pile and continue dealing.
When does the game end using the deck timer?
Two-player: end of the hand after the second reshuffle. Solo: immediately when the last card of the first deck is dealt.
If both players clear all dice on the same hand, who wins?
You tie.
Perfect Score?
Clear all 16 dice.
Scoring Chart
Count the number of dice removed and compare to chart:
- 0-4: Did you read the rules!
- 5-8: Diamond Cutter
- 9-12: Swaptastic
- 13-15: Die Slayer
- 16: Zero Hero
