Scrunch

A two-phase blocking-annihilation game, played on a hexhex grid with Go stones. Edge size 5 or more is recommended. Goal: Annihilation. Definitions: An 'egg' is a stone isolated from its own color. A 'snake' is a group of connected stones of one color. An egg is a minimal snake. A 'mutant' snake is a snake that contains a stone adjacent to more than 2 friendly stones. The 'smallest of (a player's) snakes' is one that is as small as that player's smallest snake. Play Creation Phase Players alternately place eggs on isolated empty cells. The creation phase ends independently for each player, as soon as that player places a stone next to a friendly stone; after which that player may no longer use a turn to increase the number of their snakes. Wriggling Phase This phase always applies to only the smallest of a player's snakes. A turn for a player in this phase consists of either: A.) The growth AND movement of a snake, if possible; - or else B.) The death and removal of one or more friendly snakes because they are incapable of growth and movement. Growth and Movement The moving player must first place a stone next to the smallest of her snakes. This new stone may extend a snake, merge two snakes, or temporarily create a mutant snake. Then she must move a different stone, which also belongs to the resultant snake, a single step to an empty space in any direction. If the placement had merged two or more snakes, the movement can redivide them. If the placement had caused a mutation, the movement must remedy it. The result of this growth and movement must not leave any snake in a mutant form, nor may it increase the number of snakes in play. Death and Removal If growth and movement is not possible for the smallest of snakes, then the player must remove any dead snakes that cannot 'Wriggle' one at a time, until the smallest of her remaining snakes can grow by 'Wriggling'. You lose when you remove your last snake. —description from the designer