Help for the Game of Blobs


Welcome to the network Blobs server. The challenge command is described here. Other commands are the same as for all pbmserv games.

  blobs challenge [-num_dice=n] [-max_grid=n] [-win_either|-win_white|-win_own|-win_enemy] userid1 userid2

Starts a new game for two players.

The -num_dice option specifies the number of dice to play with (default 48).
The -max_grid option specifies the maximum grid size (default 8x8).
The -win_either option specifies that players win by either surrounding white or being surrounded by white (default).
The -win_white option specifies that players win by surrounding a white group with their colour.
The -win_own option specifies that players win by surrounding a group of their own colour with white.
The -win_enemy option specifies that players win by surrounding an enemy group with white.

Introduction

Blobs is a boardless strategy game in which two players strive to surround shapes.

Note: The game is much easier to play using the graphical web interface than the ASCII email version!

Rules

Pieces: Two players, O and X, share a common pool of 48 dice with an O neck on the top an X neck on the bottom. The six faces of each dice are of the following colours: O (x 1) , X (x 1) and Mixed (x 4).

 +oo---+    +xx---+    +--xxx+  
oooo..| xxxx..| |...xxx
|.ooo.| |.xxx.| oo...xx
|..oooo |..xxxx ooo...|
+---oo+ +---xx+ +ooo--+

O side X side Mixed

Start: O starts by placing a die in the middle of playing area with a Mixed face uppermost.

Play: Players then take turns adding a die adjacent to at least one existing die such that edge colours match all neighbouring edges and corners. Only the uppermost faces need match.

Dice cannot exceed an 8x8 grid.

Auto Moves: If a placement creates a concave corner that matches only one dice face in one rotation, then that dice face is also played as part of the move. Each move may trigger one or two auto moves.

Aim: A player wins by either surrounding a white shape with their colour or being surrounded by a white. For example, a game won by X is shown below.

           +---oo+ooo--+---xx+xx---+
|..oooooo......xxxxxxx..|
|.ooo.oo...xx.xxx...xxx.|
oooo......xxxxxx.....xxxx
+---oo+oo...+..xxx+xx...+...xx+
|..ooooooo......xxxxxx.....xxxx
|.ooo...ooo.oo...xx.xxx...xxx.|
oooo.....oooooo......xxxxxxx..|
+oo---+---oo+ooo--+---xx+xx---+

A player loses if they achieve a win for the opponent on their move.

The game is drawn if the tiles run out before either player wins.


Notes

A winning or losing shape may be of any size or shape, as long as it is surrounded. Note, however, that any shape more complex than a circle will require the player to enclose a white shape that encloses at least one enemy shape (as shown in Figure 4, right)! This is because any white shape with a neck must border both Red and Blue regions, as only the Mixed dice face features a white neck.

White semicircles and semicircles are the key to the game. White semicircles embedded in your colour may be completed to a winning circle with a single move that triggers an auto move, while semicircles of your colour may be used as threats to direct play. Two such disjoint semicircles constitute a winning fork.

The rule that dice cannot exceed an 8x8 grid prevents ladders ruining the game. Thanks to Stephen Tavener for finding this problem.

Syntax

The following command plays tile rotation 'd' at position 3, in addition to any resulting auto moves:

  blobs move <game#> <userid> <passwd> d3           

History

Blobs piece design and rules by Cameron Browne and copyright (c) Cyberite Ltd 2009.

Blobs may be described as a square version of Mambo in which three types of tile (each one a Truchet-like tile) are wrapped into a single cube. Blobs features auto moves as per Mambo but not the null points.

More details are available at the official Blobs page.

Blobs is best played using the graphical web interface: http://www.gamerz.net/pbmserv/List.php?Blobs.

Implementation and Help file by Cameron Browne, July 2009.