Entropy Game Rules
A two-player strategy game based on the
eternal conflict in the universe between order and chaos.Components:
Square board divided into 7x7 cells.
49 counters, seven each of seven different colours
Small bag
The Game
One player is Order, the other Chaos. Order is
trying to make patterns vertically and horizontally.
Chaos is trying to prevent this. A pattern is any
sequence of counters that is identical if viewed from
either direction (left to right/right to left or up to
down/down to up). A pattern scores the number of counters
in the pattern. All patterns within a pattern also score.
For example: red-green-blue-green-red scores 5 and also 3
for green-blue-green; total: 8. Another example: red-green-red-green-red
scores 5 plus 3x3 = 14. A further example: red-red-red-red
scores 4 + 2x3 + 3x2 = 16. All possible patterns are
listed below.
Play
Chaos puts the counters in the bag. He draws them out unseen
one at at a time and places them on any empty square.
Each time Chaos places a counter, Order may slide any one
counter on the board (inclusding the one just placed)
vertically or horizontally over any number of vacant
squares (exactly like a rook in chess). Only one counter
may occupy a square. When the board is full every
vertical and horizontal line is scored. The players then
reverse roles and the player with the highest score is
the winner.
Comment
The variety of play is almost infinite so that each game
is different. An average score is about 75; 100 is good,
50 is poor.
A good strategy for Order is to avoid holes into which
Chaos can drop awkward colours. The ideal is to have no
more than two vacant areas. Order achieves this by moving
counters to the sides. As the game progresses, Order can
calculate the odds of a particular colour coming out of
the bag next.
Tournament rules, using a timing clock, have been
perfected.
Here, for ease of checking, are the 30 possible
scoring combinations. Distinct letters stand for distinct
colours.
| AA |
2 |
ABCCBA |
12 |
AABBBAA |
23 |
| |
|
AABBAA |
16 |
AABABAA |
25 |
| ABA |
3 |
ABAABA |
18 |
ABAAABA |
25 |
| AAA |
7 |
ABBBBA |
22 |
ABBABBA |
27 |
| |
|
AAAAAA |
50 |
AAABAAA |
29 |
| ABBA |
6 |
|
|
ABABABA |
37 |
| AAAA |
16 |
ABCACBA |
15 |
ABBBBBA |
37 |
| |
|
ABCDCBA |
15 |
AAAAAAA |
77 |
| ABCBA |
8 |
ABBCBBA |
19 |
|
|
| ABBBA |
12 |
ABCCCBA |
19 |
|
|
| AABAA |
12 |
AABCBAA |
19 |
|
|
| ABABA |
14 |
ABACABA |
21 |
|
|
| AAAAA |
30 |
ABCBCBA |
21 |
|
|
Entropy was invented by Eric Solomon and the game is obtainable under the name HYLE (with
rules in German) from Franjos Spieleverlag, Zum Brinkhof 22, D-33165 Lichtenau-Henglarn, Germany. (franjos@franjos.de)
Entropy played at MSO is a different game than the
Entropy created by Augustine Carreno
in 1994 which is played on Richard's PBeM Server.