KnOctopi

KnOctopi can be a fun race to be first to complete your 3 octopus arms or a much more challenging and strategic points game. In a point game placement strategy is very important as are jellyfish attacks.

If you do not have an ink blot defense a jellyfish sting can set you (or an opponent) back by both losing an arm as well as in losing points.

There are 3 reference cards included: a Quick Start Rules card, Basic Strategy card, and suggested arm lengths card. See action shots.

Expanded rules offerred as a free pdf download.

SET UP

Players decide whether they'll play the points or race version, number of tiles for a full arm, and what Wild tiles can be.

Youngest player goes first. All players choose 1 octopus card. There are 2 octopus images in each color because everyone says the original image looks scary so I added some "fun" ones and a few blanks to create your own.

Players now draw 3 tiles each and freely place any regular arm tiles, including knots, but hold special tiles - Jellyfish, Ink blot, and Wild until actual play starts. Any un-played tile(s) is saved in player's hold pile. Players may have up to 3 tiles in a hold pile.

GENERAL PLAY

Players now either draw 1 tile only or trade 1 tile for 1 from another player's hold pile at start of each turn. Players decide best play strategy each turn as the game progresses.

Play continues until ANY player completes their octopus. If playing a point game all points are counted even if an arm is incomplete. Slip knots lose 1 point (-1) but only for the arm they are in.

Jellyfish tiles may be used to sting an opponent's arm to set them back. Ink blots may be used as a defense against this. Stung arms are re grown. There are also 4 wild tiles, which again, players decide what they can be: points, no point filler, jellyfish, or inkblots, etc. during set up.

For players that may be unsettled by the mixed or multi colored tile pieces arms you may play where all arm tiles must match the body.

Also not only does the game not require reading during play, it doesn't really require much or any talking during play if a player is non verbal or a reluctant speaker.

There is a very basic 1 player game option, attempting to complete an octopus before being stung 3 times but this is mostly random draw.

Basic Info Video:

(This following: How to Play video is a rough draft needing clear audio updated but has some use in meantime.)

DELUXE SET vs BASIC SET Basic Set has 4 body colors red, yellow, blue, green, and four 18 tile micro card sets matching these colors (two 36 tile micro decks red-yellow and blue-green). Each color set includes 1 matching Jellyfish - Ink Blot pair and a blank Wild card. The point cards in the Basic set are a group of knotted arm tiles composed of two 1 point overhand, two 2 point figure 8, and one 3 point barrel knots. There are 2 slip knots in each color and they are minus 1 point (-1) each.

The Deluxe set includes the basic 4 colors and adds the colors violet and orange. The Deluxe also adds one 36 card micro deck of 6 tiles in the 6 colors with: pearls, silver pieces of eight, gold doubloons, emeralds, rubies and diamonds. Both sets offer 2 body image choices per color.

An important difference is with Deluxe the color body cards are double sided. In the Basic they are separate cards with uncolored images on the reverse side to create your own unique octopus.

Expansion Pack 1

There is currently 1 expansion pack. This was created to upgrade the 4 player/color Basic set to the 6 player/color Deluxe set by adding colors Violet and Orange and the 36 card deck of gem & coin tiles.