Spectrum!

Theme/Style: Tile Based “card” game/most points wins
Number of players: 2-6
Suggested age range: 8+
Components:    

- 52 hexagonal colored spectrum tiles: Red, Blue, Orange, Yellow, Green, Purple, Black, White (approx. 1.75 inches across)
         o (each tile has a numbered point value, and a hole in the center that fits a single "modifier")
- 18 circular modifier pieces (that fit inside hexagonal tiles) (approx half inch in diameter)

Instructions:

Overview: Players take turns laying down tiles, extending the board.  In these tiles, players can play modifiers, face down, to secretly change their value.  If players connect 3 or more tiles of the same color or number, they collect them and earn points through a series of rounds.  The player with the most points at the end of all rounds is the winner!
Setup:  Place all spectrum tiles and modifiers face down, and shuffle.  Without looking at them, each player chooses 8 tiles (6 tiles each for 5 or more players) and stacks them face down in front of them.

Each player then chooses 3 modifiers, and any extra modifiers not chosen are removed from play for this round.  Players may look at their own modifiers, but should not show them to other players. 

To start, the youngest player deals the starting honeycomb grid from the unpicked tiles. The honeycomb grid is created by placing one tile down, and then 6 tiles placed down in a counter-clockwise fashion, surrounding it.

All players draw the top 3 tiles from their draw pile to put in their hand. (players should have 3 tiles in their hand at all times, if they have them in their stack)

         o For each following round, the dealer order progresses clockwise.


Playing:  Players take turns (clockwise) starting from the left of the dealer.  On a player’s turn, he may only play one tile.  Tiles may only be placed along side a tile that matches either the color or number of a tile already in play.  If the tile played connects three or more of the same number or colored tiles, they are collected and kept as points to be tallied at the end of the round.  
After a tile is placed (and any tiles are collected), the player who will go in 2 turns may choose to place 1 of his modifiers (face down) inside any open tile in play.

Do not look at any modifiers inside collected tiles until the round is over.
Only one modifier can be placed inside each spectrum tile.

         o If a -100 is left in a players hand at the end of a round, the player still subtracts 100 points for it.Rules for playing tiles:    

Colored tiles may only be placed against and touch tiles of the same color OR number.

A BLACK tile acts as a wild card, and assumes any color a player declares on their turn.  A new color can be declared on each player's turn.  BLACK tiles can not be placed against two different colored tiles.
A WHITE tile acts as no color, and cannot be declared as one.  It can be placed against any tile.  Any tile can be placed against a white tile if it complies with the surrounding tiles. (example image in actual instructions).
If a WHITE tile is played, no tiles can be picked up on that players turn.

If a WHITE tile is touching any of the tiles collected, it must also be collected.

If you have a tile to play you must play it - you can not pass a turn.  However, you do not always have to play a modifier.
If you can not play any of the tiles in your hand, you must discard one to the bottom of your draw pile stack.  Then, place the tile on the top of your stack in your hand.

         o If your draw pile is empty:
               + and you are holding three tiles, you must discard one to your draw pile before you pick a tile from the excess board tiles.
               + and you are holding less than three tiles, draw one tile from the excess board tiles.
               + and there are no tiles to draw from, your turn is skipped.
         o If the new tile is playable, it must be played.  Otherwise, your turn is over.


If a player clears the board, they recreate the starting 7 tile honeycomb and play continues.
         o If there are less than 7 tiles remaining in the board’s excess draw pile, create as much of the honeycomb grid as possible.
         o If the board's draw pile is empty, the player who cleared the table chooses a single tile from their hand to place in the center of the table, this is the new start board.

If they choose, the player who would go in 2 turns may play a modifier.

Scoring:  When any player runs out of tiles, play stops and the round is over.  Any tiles left in a players' hand and draw pile are considered negative tile points.  Players should look through their collected tiles, and flip all modifiers around so that they are viewable inside the tiles.  Players add up their positive and negative tile points, taking into account tile modifiers.  Modifiers only affect the tile they are attached to except for the 1/2 ROUND TOTAL, and x2 ROUND TOTAL.  These modifiers are applied as the last step in calculating your score. (examples will be shown of how to calculate tiles with modifiers to help clear up any confusion with the math, especially multiplying two negative numbers together, making it a positive)


Winning:  The Player with the highest score after all rounds of play is declared the winner. (It is recommended you play at least as many rounds as there are players, and 3 when only playing with 2 players.)
         o In the event of a tie, a bonus round is played between tied players.


Unique features:  The modifier pieces allow players to secretly change the value of a tile that is face up on the board.  This element is what brings strategy and surprise to the game.  Will you be nice, or tricky?  You can chose from many different options, such as multiplying a tile’s face value by 5, or negative 5.  Force a player to pass the tile to the right or left, or even affect the total points they gain for that round by double or half.

Play test results:  (overall notes based on many playtests) Through most all of the playtests, participants have had the most laughs when tricking their opponents into either NOT picking up tiles they should, or into picking up ones that will hurt their score.  The thought of the “unknown” modifier inside a tile they want to pick up makes for an interesting choice across every turn.  One of the challenges is having everyone completely comprehend the play order, as it is a little new than what some players might be used to in traditional, turn based card games.  However, by the second round everyone seemed to pick up this mechanic, and the game seemed to become second nature.  (It is suggested that the current player asks the player who will go in two turns, "Mark, do you want to play a modifier?")  Some colorful diagrams in the final instructions will help convey this more clearly.