MetiKoro is an engaging strategy game designed for 2–4 players.
These rules are from the alpha version of the game, as testing and fine-tuning of the game balance are still ongoing. Nevertheless, the game is already fun and challenging to play with these rules.
Game Components
Before starting, ensure all the required components are present. Since the game is 3D-printed, some pieces may vary slightly in shape or color compared to the illustrations.
Game Board and Resource Platform
- 4× Game Board (a): The board is made up of four interlocking sections that are easy to assemble.
- 4× Action Platforms (b): Each player gets a platform with six slots to organize their personal game pieces.
Game Pieces and Orbs
- 20× Crossings (c): Orbs roll straight through these intersections.
- 20× Curves (d): Orbs follow the predefined curved path.
- 8× Stop Fields (e): Orbs stop briefly here before continuing in any chosen direction.
- 9× Orbs (f): These must be rolled from the Source to a player’s Home.
- 8× Switches 1 (g), 8× Switches 2 (h), 8× Switches 3 (j): Switches allow players to decide if an orb should continue straight or turn. Rolling backward or stopping is not allowed.
- 8× Curves with Bumpers (k): These specialized curves either guide the orb along the line or deflect it, causing a directional change.
Game Board Elements
- Home (1): A player’s Home is located in one of the corners of the board.
- Front Yard (2): The six fields directly in front of the Home, marked with crosses, make up the Front Yard.
- Source (3): The Source is at the center of the board, consisting of four designated fields.
Game Setup
Setting Up the Game Board
- Assemble the four game board sections and place the board in the center of the playing area.
- Place the four orbs in the Source at the center of the board.
- Distribute one Action Platform to each player.
Starting Game Pieces
At the start of the game, each player places the following six game pieces on their Action Platform:
- 3× Crossings (c)
- 2× Curves (d)
- 1× Stop Field (e)
The remaining game pieces are placed in a bowl or directly on the table to form a shared Resource Pool. The Resource Pool must be clearly visible to all players.
Player Corners and Colors
- Each player chooses a corner of the game board and the corresponding color.
- For three players, one corner will remain unoccupied.
- For two players, it is recommended to choose opposite corners, leaving the other two empty.
Visibility
Both the shared Resource Pool and each player’s Action Platform must remain visible to everyone throughout the game.
Objective of the Game
The goal of the game is to roll as many orbs as possible into your own Home. The first player to successfully roll three orbs into their Home wins the game.
Game Rules
The game progresses in a clockwise (or counter-clockwise) direction. On their turn, each player completes a game turn, consisting of three steps:
- Perform an Action: Place one or two game pieces on the board or perform another allowed action, like replacing or rotating or draw extra game pieces.
- Pick up a Game Piece: Take one game piece from the Resource Pool and place it on your Action Platform.
- Roll an Orb (Optional): If possible and desired, roll an orb along the game board.
After a player completes their turn, the next player takes theirs.
Winning the Game: The game ends when a player rolls their third orb into their Home. That player wins the game, and the round is over.
Perform an Action
On their turn, a player can perform one of the following actions:
- Place: Place one or two game pieces from the Action Platform onto the game board.
- Replace: Swap one or two game pieces on the board with pieces from the Action Platform. For this, one or two additional pieces must be returned to the Resource Pool.
- Rotate: Rotate one or two game pieces on the board. For each piece rotated, one piece from the Action Platform must be returned to the Resource Pool.
- Pick Up Extra Pieces: Add one or two extra piece from the Resource Pool to the Action Platform, provided there are at least two or three free slots available.
For the Replace and Rotate actions, additional pieces from the Action Platform are required. If the player doesn’t have enough pieces, the action cannot be performed.
Action: Placing Game Pieces
How It Works: Place one or two game pieces from the Action Platform onto free spaces on the game board. Follow these rules:
- Pieces cannot be placed in the Front Yards of other players.
- Pieces may be placed on neutral spaces or within the player’s own Front Yard.
- Pieces can be oriented freely and do not need to be adjacent to other pieces.
Restrictions:
- If the player has no pieces on their Action Platform, this action cannot be performed.
- If there are no free spaces on the board, this action is not possible.
Action: Replacing Game Pieces
How It Works: Replace one or two game pieces on the board with pieces from the Action Platform. The replaced pieces are returned to the Resource Pool.
Additional Cost: For each replaced piece, return one extra piece from the Action Platform to the Resource Pool:
- Replacing one piece = 1 piece that replace the current one + 1 additional piece returned = total 2 pieces.
- Replacing two pieces = 2 pieces that replace the current one + 2 additional pieces returned = total 4 pieces.
Restrictions:
- If the player does not have enough pieces on their Action Platform, they cannot perform this action.
- Game pieces with an orb on them cannot be replaced.
- The replacing action must change the situation on the board. Therefore, replacing a crossing with another crossing stone is no valid action.
Action: Rotating Game Pieces
How It Works: Rotate one or two game pieces on the board in any direction or angle. If the piece’s position remains unchanged after the rotation (e.g., due to symmetry), the rotation is invalid.
Additional Cost: For each piece rotated, return one piece from the Action Platform to the Resource Pool.
Restrictions:
- If the player does not have enough pieces on their Action Platform, this action cannot be performed.
- The rotation must change the situation on the board.
Action: Picking Up Extra Pieces
Instead of changing the board by placing, replacing, or rotating game pieces, the player can choose to “recharge” their Action Platform by picking up extra pieces.
How It Works: If a player has at least two free slots on their Action Platform, they may take one or two extra game pieces from the Resource Pool.
Benefit: This action enables a player to pick up two or three pieces in total during a turn—combining the extra piece(s) acquired in this step with the regular piece taken at the end of the turn.
Restrictions:
- There must be at least two free slots on the Action Platform to pick up one extra piece, or three free slots to pick up two, ensuring the player can still pick up the regular piece after the action.
After the Action: Picking Up a Game Piece
After performing an action, the player must pick up a game piece from the Resource Pool and place it on their Action Platform.
Exception: If the Resource Pool is empty and no pieces are available, the player’s turn ends without picking up a piece. This should never happen if the game is played with the regular rules.
Rolling the Orb
At the end of their turn, a player may choose to roll an orb, provided it is possible and desired. The orb follows the lines on the game pieces until it reaches the next Stop. Orbs may only be moved as far as the next Stop.
General Rules
Starting Position: Any orb located in the Source or already on the game board may be moved.
Owning Orbs: Once an orb reaches a player’s Home, only that player can move it.
Recharging the Source: As soon as an orb leaves its position on the Source, the player who moved the orb must place a new orb from the Resource Pool (as long as spare ones are available) onto the newly freed spot in the Source.
Movement in the Home: Players must move orbs within their Home to create space for additional orbs. The same movement rules as those on the game board apply.
Invalid Moves: An orb may not be moved if it:
- ends in a dead end at the edge of the board,
- falls off a game piece,
- becomes trapped in an infinite loop,
- collides with another orb.
Rolling to the Next Stop
Movement Process: The orb rolls along the lines on the game pieces until it reaches the next Stop.
- At crossings, the orb continues straight ahead.
- In curves, the orb follows the curve’s direction.
Stops
Once an orb reaches a Stop, it remains there until a player moves it again.
No Return to the Source: Orbs that leave the Source cannot return to it.
Home Rule: Orbs that enter a Home cannot leave it again.
Switches
At a switch, the player may decide which path the orb will follow.
- The orb can only follow the lines, meaning it moves straight ahead or along a curve.
- Rolling backward is not allowed.
Bumpers
When encountering a bumper, the orb changes direction and rolls back.
- Bumpers are represented in the game as grooves curving upward.
- Alternatively, they may be depicted as arrows pointing in the opposite direction.
Allowed Directions
The diagram below highlights allowed movements (green) and forbidden movements (red).
Invalid Moves
An orb cannot be moved if it:
- would fall off a game piece,
- ends in a dead end,
- becomes trapped in an infinite loop,
- collides with another orb.
If any of these scenarios occur, the orb cannot be rolled.
The Important Ko Rule
The Ko Rule ensures that actions performed by a player cannot be reversed or nullified by other players during the same round.
- Definition of Reversion: An action is considered reversed if a new situation is created where the previous action no longer has any influence on the game.
- Definition of a Round: A round starts when a player performs an action and ends when the same player’s turn comes around again.
- Responsibility: The player who performs the action is responsible for ensuring that the Ko Rule is followed.
Examples:
Rolling the Orb: If a player rolls an orb from Stop A to Stop B:
- Other players may not roll the orb back to Stop A, as this would reverse the original action.
- Allowed: Other players may roll the orb forward to another Stop (e.g., Stop C), as this builds upon the previous action and does not nullify it.
Placing a Piece: If a player places a piece on the board:
- Other players may not replace or rotate this piece until the next round.
Replacing or Rotating a Piece: If a player replaces or rotates a piece on the board:
- Other players may not alter this piece until the next round.
End of the Game
The game ends under the following conditions:
- Victory: A player successfully places three orbs in their Home. This player wins the game.
- Draw or Agreed Winner: All players agree on a draw, or they collectively decide to recognize a specific player as the winner.