Kivi (board game)
Kivi (Finnish for "stone" or "rock") is a 2016 abstract strategy board game for two to four players, invented by British Maureen Hiron and Jamaican-born British Sheyla Bonnick.
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| Designer(s) | Maureen Hiron and Sheyla Bonnick |
|---|---|
| Publisher(s) | Peliko / Martinex |
| Publication date | 2016 |
| Genre(s) | abstract strategy |
| Players | 2–4 |
| Setup time | under 1 minute |
| Playing time | 10–15 minutes |
| Random chance | high |
| Skill(s) required | luck, probability, strategy |
Rules
Kivi draws inspiration from the classic dice game Yachtzee. Kivi combines Yachtzee's dice with a board spanning 7×7 squares, for a total of 49. Each player has ten stone counters made of glass (hence the name Kivi). Unlike Yachtzee which uses five dice, Kivi uses six dice.
On a player's turn, he/she throws all six dice and decides what combination he/she is going to use. As in Yachtzee, the player can use up to two full or partial rethrows if he/she is not satisfied with the combination. Upon finishing a turn, the player places one of his/her stones on the board.
Each of the 49 squares is marked with a particular combination, and a stone can be only placed on a square if the dice satisfy the combination. Squares are marked in different colours: pink squares score three points, black squares score two points and white squares score one point.
Combinations
The possible combinations available in Kivi are:
- Two pairs
- Two dice show the same value and another two dice also show the same value. Worth 1 point.
- Three of a kind
- Three dice show the same value. Worth 1 point.
- Little straight
- Four dice show consecutive values. Worth 1 point.
- Full house
- Three dice show the same value and another two dice also show the same value. Worth 1 point.
- Four of a kind
- Four dice show the same value. Worth 2 points.
- Large straight
- Five dice show consecutive values. Worth 2 points.
- All even
- Each of the six dice shows an even value. Worth 2 points.
- All odd
- Each of the six dice shows an odd value. Worth 2 points.
- 12 or fewer
- The sum of the values is 12 or fewer. Worth 2 points.
- 30 or more
- The sum of the values is 30 or more. Worth 2 points.
- Three pairs
- Two dice show the same value, another two dice also show the same value, and the final two dice also show the same value. Worth 3 points.
- Two times three of a kind
- Three dice show the same value, and the final three dice also show the same value. Worth 3 points.
- Four of a kind and a pair
- Four dice show the same value, and the final two dice also show the same value. Worth 3 points.
There are also three special combinations: Upon rolling a five of a kind or a straight of six consecutive numbers from 1 to 6, a player can place his/her stone on any square that is still free. Upon rolling a six of a kind (all six dice show the same value), a player can place his/her stone on any square whatsoever. If the square is already occupied, the stone occupying it is moved to some other square of the player's choosing.
If a player cannot place a stone anywhere, they place their stone back in the box.
Scoring
The game lasts exactly ten rounds, one for each of the ten stones available for the players. After ten rounds, the stones on the board are scored.
The stones are scored by contiguous rows (horizontal or vertical but not diagonal). Each row is scored as the sum of the points its squares awards, times the length of the row. Thus longer rows score increasingly more points. An isolated stone counts as a row of one stone.
After all stones have been scored, the player with the most points wins.
Awards
- Vuoden Peli ("Game of the Year") 2016, category: Party games: Winner[1]
References
- Vuoden Peli 2016 -kilpailun voittajat 22 August 2016. Accessed on 18 October 2020.