Geek Dad: Awesomely Geeky Projects and Activities for Dads and Kids to Share Read Online Free PDF Page B

“1” next to the first space, “2” next to the fourth space, “3” next to the ninth space, “4” next to the sixteenth space, “5” next to the twenty-fifth space (notice a pattern?), and “6” next to Start. Do this for each Trail. Make a Deck Space on either side of the board for the Offense and Defense cards.
    Helpful Hints
    When you draw a large-scale board, it’s a good idea to do everything in pencil first, using rulers and water-bottle caps for most of the lines and shapes. Then go back over everything with a black Sharpie/Biro, and finally color the spaces in per the directions. If you print it out, it’s just a matter of lining things up and taping the pages together. Another cool idea is to use cloth pens and draw the board on a white bedsheet that can be folded up and reused.
    Now you need the game cards—red for Offense, green for Defense. These can be printed on paper and cut out, or written on 3-by-5-inch index cards, and a colored dot placed on the backs to identify which kind they are. The following are suggested cards and quantities, but once again, you can tweak the game to your own style and idiom of game play by adjusting the cards.
    Offense Cards (Red)

    Defense Cards (Green)

    The cards are the place where the game can be most significantly customized. If you come up with a theme for the game (say, space travel), then the cards can help portray that. “Move Ahead” becomes “Warp Ahead.” “Take an Extra Turn” changes into “Time Jump to Your Next Turn.” That sort of thing. And new rules and strategies can be added. How about a card that transfers ownership of a bridge or causes it to be removed?

PLAYING THE GAME
    Now that you’ve built the thing, you’re just about ready to play. Mix the cards up and put them on their respective places. Each player should pick a playing piece. Have fun with these! Use action figures or, especially good, LEGO minifigs. Make sure your LEGO bricks are in a bowl for picking, and don’t place it too close to the snacks, just to be safe.
The Rules
THE GOAL:
    Be the first Buildr to cross both rivers and make your way to the Home space.
PLAY PIECES REQUIRED:
    A token for each player—may be a toy, minifig, action figure
    One six-sided die
    A bowl of assorted LEGO pieces (using all smaller pieces will make for a longer, more challenging game) that will be used to build the Bridges to carry you Home
GENERAL CONCEPTS:
    High roll on the die for first player. Play continues to the left.
    Each player starts in a corner and travels down his own Path toward the Outer Trail, based on die rolls.
    Once at the Outer Trail, pieces move clockwise around the ring.
DESCRIPTION OF A TURN:
    1. Player declares his Buildr action—the player may take a LEGO piece from the bowl, add a piece to a current build, set a complete bridge if he is on a Toll Space, or add a piece to repair an already set bridge. He may also choose to pass on his Buildr action.
    2. Player may play a Buildr card from his hand, if desired. Only one card may be played per turn. If a card is played, either for the player or against another player, its instructions are now followed.
    3. Player rolls the die, then moves the number of spaces indicated, either up his Path toward the Outer Trail, or clockwise around the Outer or Inner Trail. Player takes a Buildr card if he lands on a Card Space, and adds it to his hand.
    4. Player may play a Buildr card from his hand, if he did not do so in step 2. If a card is played, its instructions are now followed.
    4. Turn ends, and play moves to the player on the left.
BUILDR CARDS:
    Buildr cards may be played either before the die roll or after the player moves in a turn.
    Buildr cards may be played for the player himself or played on another player.
    The instructions on a Buildr card must be immediately followed by the player who draws it.
    Buildr cards that indicate “Move Forward” or “Move Back” will work at any time.
    The “Take an Extra Turn”