GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Play continues until all the cake is taken. Each round of play mice
are given an opportunity to haul away more cake pieces. Each mouse is
matched with one die. Together or individually mice may try to claim
a piece by rolling higher or equal to the pip value of the cake piece.
The more valuable the piece, the more combined the effort is needed
to take it. Risky choices yield greater danger with the chance of some
mice losing a turn in recovery from exhaustion. Resolution is simultaneous
but turns may be taken for ease of play until a conflict arises.
PHASE 1 - Assign Mice
Each player has a family of four mice represented by pawns.
Both players simultaneously assign mice to any of the 4 columns facing
them in any combination.
For example, you may have all 4 mice before
column A; or you may assign 2 to column A and 2 to column C; or you
may assign one to each column A,B,C,D. etc.
Mice may only eat cake from their own side. They may not jump on or
around to eat from the side or middle. Once all the mice of both players are assigned move to phase 2.
ASSIGNMENT CONFLICT: If both players
can't settle on placement of mice simultaneously, then the assign mice secretly with a sheet of paper blocking view until both declare readiness.
PHASE 2 - Collect Cake
Both players resolve success from left to right or in another consistent
manner. This may be done in turn even though it is technically simultaneous.
ROLLING DICE-Count the number of your mice assigned to column"A".
Roll that number of dice. It helps to point to the current domino in
question while you roll.
COMPARING RESULT-Compare the resulting sum of dice to the total number
of pips on the nearest domino in that column. Generally if the mice
rolled equal to or higher then that cake piece is won and may be taken
immediately to your stash of winnings, with two important exceptions.
EXCEPTION 1: Conflict with enemy mice.
If a column is reduced such that there is only one cake piece left in
that column, then whichever opposing group of assigned mice rolls the highest thereby gains the hard won piece provided not even 1 assigned mouse becomes exhausted (see below). If both sides are exhausted then the prize remains for
next round.
EXCEPTION 2: Exhausted mice lose 1 turn and prevent cake piece from
being taken.
There is a risk to gorging on cake. All cake pieces (dominoes) have 2 halves. Some
have pips on both halves, while a few have pips on one half and are
blank on the other half. If the piece of cake has pips on both halves
and the count on each half matches exactly the pattern of pips on the
dice rolled, then two of the assigned mice (belonging to that player) are EXHAUSTED and both
lose the next turn. Place the exhausted mice on the cake piece to show they
are exhausted and remove them during the following turn when
they recover. If the cake piece has pips on one half and is blank on
the other half, then one mouse is exhausted if the exact
pip count is matched by a roll. Note that in both cases the dice must
match the domino pip pattern exactly to be exhausted.
LOW ROLL- If the mice rolled lower than that cake piece's pip count
then the piece is simply not won this turn. The mice are ok. Move on
to the next column.
THE STASH- Won cake pieces are stored face up away from the cake near
the players. When a piece is taken the next adjacent cake piece in the
same column is turned face up (if not already).
END ROUND-When all 8 mice have taken actions the round is over. The
next round begins with new assignments for the mice. Newly exhausted
mice may not be assigned and simply wait for recovery during phase 2.
Exhausted mice do NOT block subsequent attempts on the same cake piece. The game ends when there are no more cake pieces left.
DOUBLE-BLANK
When mice are assigned to the double-blank domino they get a chance
to steal a cake piece from the enemy. You choose a target piece to steal
from the enemy. You roll against the value of the target enemy domino not the value of the double blank. The same rules apply and if you are exhausted you place
your mice atop the blank. If the double-blank is used by enemy players
on the same turn, then the players may steal from each other. If both
players are successful in stealing then nobody gets the blank but the stolen stash cake pieces do get exchanged. Remove
it from the game after the synchronous stealing occurs. Otherwise the first successful
steal stashes the double-blank piece too and there can be no more stealing. Any exhausted mice on the
other side would still lose 1 turn. If the enemy has no cake to steal during mouse assignment, then you can't assign mice to the double blank. If one or more attempts to steal fail (and the enemy does not succeed) then additional attempts can be made in subsequent rounds provided at least one mouse is assigned.
Some further EXHAUSTION clarifications:
No more than TWO mice may become exhausted from
an attempt on a single cake piece with values on both halves.
For example,
if 4 mice try for an 5/6 cake piece and the resulting rolls are 5,5,5,
and 6, then only 2 mice become exhausted because the limit is
reached. The piece can't be taken.
No more than ONE mouse may become exhausted from a cake piece
that has a blank half.
For example, if 2 mice try for a 0/3 cake piece
and double-threes are rolled only one mouse becomes exhausted and loses
the next turn. The piece can't be taken.
If a single mouse attempts to take a cake piece with pips on both halves, and only matches one half, then it is NOT exhausted.
For example if a mouse rolls a 4 on a {4:4} domino then the mouse is not exhausted. The piece still can't be taken.
ANY EXHAUSTION DURING AN ATTEMPT PREVENTS CAKE PIECE CLAIM: If any
mice at all become exhausted during an attempt on a cake piece
it can't be taken to the stash even if the rolled sum would normally
succeed (i.e. be an equal or higher value).
For example, if 4 mice attempt to take a {0:6} domino and the dice result is 6,5,4,4. Because just one mouse became exhausted by matching the 6 the piece can't be taken.
A |
B |
C |
D |
4 yellow mice pawns + 4 dice |
1/2 |
3/4 |
5/6 |
0/3 |
&/& |
&/& |
&/& |
&/& |
0/0 |
1/3 |
5/5 |
6/2 |
&/& |
&/& |
&/& |
&/& |
0/4 |
1/5 |
0/6 |
2/4 |
&/& |
&/& |
&/& |
&/& |
0/1 |
4/4 |
3/6 |
2/5 |
4 blue mice pawns + 4 dice |
A |
B |
C |
D |
PHASE 1- Blue assigns 2 mice to column B and 2 to column D. Yellow
assigns 1 mouse to column A and 3 mice to column C.
PHASE 2 BLUE- Blue rolls for column B. Result=2,4. Nothing. Blue rolls
for column D. Result = 3,4. Success (pattern not sum must match for
exhaustion). Adds piece to stash + flips over next piece in line.
PHASE 2 YELLOW-Yellow rolls for column A. Result=4. Success. Adds
piece to stash + flips next. Yellow rolls for column C. Result=6,6,5.
Failure. Two mice are exhausted and lose next turn. Places exhausted
mice on top of 5/6 domino. Remaining 3rd mouse is ok.
next round cake looks like this:
A |
B |
C |
D |
2 yellow mice (+ 2 exhausted mice) |
- |
3/4 |
5/6 |
0/3 |
2/3 |
&/& |
&/& |
&/& |
0/0 |
1/3 |
5/5 |
6/2 |
&/& |
&/& |
&/& |
&/& |
0/4 |
1/5 |
0/6 |
2/4 |
&/& |
&/& |
&/& |
1/1 |
0/1 |
4/4 |
3/6 |
- |
4 blue mice |
A |
B |
C |
D |
