Splut

Smash the sorcerers!
An abstract strategy board game.

Throw yourself into a mindboggling tactical battle.
Which Sorcerer is the last to stand, and leave the arena as a grandmaster?

Bodogemu has a written permission as a non-exclusive license to use this game from the designer Tommy De Coninck. Thank you very much!

This is a local copy of the official rules.

Official English rules for the Print-and-Play boardgame

Components

Splut! is a boardgame, so a Splut! gameboard is required. Each player also needs 3 pieces to play with, a Sorcerer, a Troll and a Dwarf.

There are always 4 Rocks located at the board, regardless of the amount of players.

Start of the Game

" Players, take Positions! " Behold the picture below. All four Rocks are used in every game. Place them at the outmost squares of the board. (The 4 squares with only one adjacent square.)

For each team, the Dwarf start at the square in front of a Rock. The Troll is on the square to the right of the Dwarf and the Sorcerer stands on the square to the left of the Dwarf. (From the Rock's point of view. If it had eyes...) Please refer to the “Seating” section in this rulebook for more details.

Seating

2 Players

First challenger takes a seat.
Second challenger takes the seat opposite of challenger one.

3 Players

First challenger takes a seat.
Second challenger takes the seat opposite of challenger one.
Third challenger takes one of the remaining two seats and the challenger to her/his right becomes the first player.

4 Players

First challenger takes a seat.
Second challenger takes the seat opposite of challenger one.
Third challenger takes one of the remaining two seats.
Fourth challenger takes the remaining seat and becomes the first player.

Gameflow

Splut! is designed for 2 to 4 players. When a player's turn is over, the player to the left takes her/his turn. (In other wordings; turns revolve clockwise.)

How to Win

The object of the game is to kill all opposing Sorcerers by throwing a Rock on their brittle heads. Once a Sorcerer dies, his entire team is removed from the Arena (gameboard). You win a game of Splut! when your Sorcerer is the last one standing in the 'arena'.

A Player's Turn

Players alternate turns. Regardless of how many players compete, please administer following movement rules. (* All moves are mandatory.)

First player's first turn has only one move*.
Second player's first turn has only two moves*.
Play then alternates turns between players, providing three moves* each turn.

During each turn you MUST perform your moves (steps) with any of your three pieces. Each piece has its own unique way of acting. (Spread your obligatory amount of moves among your pieces as desired.)

e.g. One step with the Troll, then one step by the Dwarf, followed by another step by the Troll. Totalling three steps (or “moves”).

Moving Pieces

All pieces may move one square in a horizontal or vertical direction. Diagonal movement is never allowed.
You only control your own three team members: a Sorcerer, a Dwarf and a Troll. (See special rules for each piece below.)
You cannot move into or through an occupied square.
Squares referred to as “Adjacent” are never diagonally adjacent. (Only horizontal and vertical.)

Overview of the Playing Pieces

Troll

Pull Back: Because of his bulky size a Troll can put his hands on a Rock and pull it towards him. When moving, he can Pull Back (or “drag”) a Rock from an adjacent square onto the square he just left. Only Pull Back Rocks in a straight line aligned with your Troll! (Pulling is optional.)

Throw: When your Troll ends his move on a square containing a Rock, he picks it up and must Throw it away in any horizontal or vertical direction. The flying Rock only stops when it hits an Obstacle or a Target. Throwing immediately ends your turn. (Note: You cannot Levitate Rocks onto a square occupied by a Troll in order to then automatically Throw it away.)

The Thrown Rock flies over empty squares (and over Dwarves) until it hits an Obstacle or Target;

The border of the gameboard (Obstacle: Rock lands on last square before sideline)
Any Troll (Obstacle: Rock lands on square before Troll)
Another Rock (Obstacle: Rock lands on square before other Rock)
Any Sorcerer (Target: Rock lands at square of the killed Sorcerer)

Thrown Rocks can fly over the square occupied by a Dwarf. The Rock will however land directly on top of that Dwarf if the following square is an Obstacle. That unfortunate Dwarf is then removed from the game.

When you hit a Sorcerer with a flying Rock, remove the Sorcerer and his entire team from the board, and put the thrown Rock at the square where the Sorcerer died.

Dwarf

Push : The small muscular body of the Dwarf is to his advantage. As a special action, the Dwarf can Push all pieces in his path when moving. All pieces in a straight line are moved in the same direction as the Dwarf until they hit a sideline of the gameboard.

Small : Thrown Rocks will pass over the Dwarf because of his small size. You cannot Levitate Rocks onto or through squares occupied by a Dwarf. Levitated Rocks are still blocked because they are floating too low above the ground. (Also see rules for Throwing.)

Sorcerer

Levitate : A Sorcerer may Levitate Rocks. Levitating is optional. When Levitating a Rock, move the Rock simultaneous with your moving Sorcerer. (The Levitated Rock follows the same movement path as the Sorcerer.) You can use this action for only one Rock each turn.

e.g. The Sorcerer moves one square forward. Then also move the chosen Rock one square forward.

You cannot Levitate a Rock that moved (Thrown, Levitated, Pushed or Pulled) during the previous player her/his turn.
You can start Levitating a Rock that was Pushed or Pulled during your turn.
Once you start Levitating a Rock you can continue Levitating it on the subsequent steps during your turn.
Once you stop Levitating (e.g. move some other piece or move your Sorcerer without Levitating a Rock) you cannot Levitate again during that same turn.

Obstacles, Targets AND Dwarves do block Levitated Rocks. You cannot kill an enemy Sorcerer by Levitating a Rock onto him.

Rock

When you hear “SPLUT!“ caused by a Rock that just landed upon a Sorcerer, then the game is over for the player controlling that unfortunate Sorcerer. There are always four Rocks provided in the arena regardless of the amount of players. Rocks are not part of any player's team.

Pull (Example)

When a Troll is adjacent to a Rock, he can put his arms on top of the Rock and Pull it to him. (Optional.)

The Stonetroll moves away from the Rock ...

... and Pulls it to him.(This action equals one move.)

Throw (Example)

When a Troll lands on a square with a Rock, he immediately Throws it away with great force.

The Rock is in a straight line with a Sorcerer!

SPLUT! The Rock crashes on top of the Sorcerer.

Levitate (Example)

By focusing all energy on a Rock, the Sorcerer can move it by sheer will alone.

The Sorcerer moves (one, two or three squares) and the Rock mimics the same move(s).

Push (Example)

All pieces that are in his way will be moved in the same direction as the Dwarf.

The Dwarf first Pushes the Troll aside ...

... and then all other pieces.

SPLUT! Glossary

Adjacent: Squares next to each other but not diagonally.
Dwarf: Can Push. With an Obstacle in the back, any Thrown Rock can crush the Dwarf.
Levitate: Moving a Rock close near the ground, simultaneously with your Sorcerer. Obstacles, Targets and Dwarves block Levitation. The Levitated Rock has no momentum to do any damage.
Move: All moves (or steps) are either horizontal or vertical. Diagonal moves are prohibited.
Obstacle: A Thrown Rock land on the square in front of an Obstacle. Trolls, a sideline of the gameboard and other Rocks are Obstacles.
Push: Move all pieces in a straight line. Stop when the pieces reach a sideline of the gameboard.
Rock: Used to be Levitated or Thrown. Four Rocks are always present.
Sorcerer: Can Levitate Rocks. You lose the game if a Rock happens to land on your Sorcerer.
SPLUT!: The sound of a thrown Rock crushing a Sorcerer (or occasionally a Dwarf).
Target: A Thrown Rock lands on the square of a Target, effectively removing that Target from play. Sorcerers are Targets.
Throw: A Troll landing on a square with a Rock, immediately rockets it away. A Throw always immediately ends your turn.
Toco: Nickname of game designer and solid slug slinging sorcerer Tommy De Coninck.
Troll: Can Pull or Throw. Is an Obstacle for Rocks. Is ugly and strong.

General Statistics:

79 games played.
79 victories and 0 draws.
31 average movements per game ( max: 85, min: 5).
22 victories by the first player vs 57 victories from another player.