Introduction
Players each control nine workers on an assembly line. As the products roll by, players get a chance to score at certain points in the game, based on what product they're working on at that moment.
Components
- 18 Poker Chips (9 of two different player colors)
- 18 Product Tokens (6 each of three different product colors)
- 1 bag
- Paper and pen (for scoring)
Setup
Randomly distribute the poker chips in a line across the table between the two players. It might be easiest to put the chips in a bag and draw one at a time to create the line. The first chip drawn is the beginning of the line. The last chip drawn is the end of the line. Each player owns one of the colors on the board.
Place all the product tokens in the bag.
Gameplay
1. Determine Movement
In a Rock, Paper, Scissors fashion, each player simultaneously reveals 1, 2, or 3 fingers from his hand. If the two numbers are different, advance the assembly line the sum of both numbers.
If the two numbers are the same, the assembly line breaks down and scoring happens.
2. Advance Tokens
If there are any product tokens on the Assembly Line already, advance them forward toward the end of the line the appropriate number. If they go past the last chip, they are out of the game and not used any longer.
After you advance the existing tokens, draw tokens out of the bag, one at a time, and place them on the assembly line behind the existing tokens. Tokens should be placed from front to back. The number of tokens drawn is equal to the number of spaces advanced.
Of course, once the bag is empty, no more tokens are placed on the Assembly Line. All remaining tokens advance as normal.
Example of Play
Scoring
Score: If both players play the same number, the Assembly line breaks down and the players score. The tokens do not advance!
There are three colors.
Red = 3 points
Blue = 2 points
Green = 1 point
Look at all of your poker chips. You earn points equal to all tokens currently residing beside them. For example, in the above example:
Player 1
3 Reds (9 pts), 2 Blues (4 pts), 1 Green (1 pt) = 14 pts
Player 2
1 Red (3 pts), 1 Blue (2 pts), 4 Greens (4 pts) = 9 pts
No Double Fault
The Machine cannot breakdown two times in a row. If doubles show up after a scoring round, redo until the assembly line moves.
Game End and Final Scoring
The game will end immediately as soon as the last token moves off the Assembly line. Whichever player has scored the most points at this time wins.
Variant
To toss a wrench into the gears, add a yellow token into the bag. A yellow token represents a defective product. When the assembly line breaks down, the player who owns the chip with the yellow token standing on it loses 5 points. Yipes!
This game (c) copyright 2003 Stephen Glenn.
