SUDOCRITTERS -- The Game

Well, as you can see, I couldn't resist attempting to design a SUDOKU-based game. Here are the rules and stuff --

SUDOCRITTERS -- The Game

For three players

The AIM: For each player, the aim is to fill rows, columns or 3x3 boxes with complete sets of critters. The player who places the final critter in a row/column/box claims it as his/her own.

The RULES: (revised since yesterday)Players take turns to place ONE critter at a time. Placements must conform to the standard rules of SUDOKU -- i.e., there can be only one of each critter per row/column/box. Once a critter is placed, it cannot be moved or removed. There is no restriction on placements that may block FUTURE valid placements -- i.e., players are not required to play in such a way that the whole board can be correctly filled up. However at the time of each placement, it MUST be valid. Players do not have the option of skipping a turn, even if it means making a disadvantageous move.

WINNING: The player with the most rows/columns/boxes is the winner. Given that the game will very likely be blocked by invalid moves, I am guessing that the typical game will end in deadlock, with no winner. Therefore it's to the advantage of all players NOT to block the board with placements that will lead to deadlock -- but not necessarily to the advantage of the individual player.

THE METHOD (for this blog-version) I moved first*, followed by PRAMOD and MINAL, who have very kindly agreed to play along. In theory, anyone can join in the game, by leaving moves in COMMENTS (NOT as e-mail, pls!) which I will incorporate on the board and post here from time to time -- I'm planning to do this a couple of times a day -- but in practice, it's very likely that Pramod and Minal will be the only players. I will only incorporate those moves which follow the 1-2-3 pattern -- i.e., if someone posts a move out of turn, I will not incorporate it.

At this moment, it makes sense to me if the three of us continue our moves in rotation, through COMMENTS without waiting for me to upload the changed board each time. This way, the game will go quicker (after all, we have 81 potential squares to fill up!!) We can keep track of the game on our own stored versions -- then I can upload the day's moves all together at, say, midnight IST (New Delhi).

So is this clear? I will include moves based on those which get posted to COMMENTS here. I will place my own moves every third time. I will only change the board at the end of the day.

And ... please, anyone, correct me if I make incorrect placements on the board!

The moves so far:

MARGINALIEN: FLAMINGO (9) to 3C; CAMEL (6) to 4G; CAT (3) to 7D

PRAMOD: PENGUIN (1) to E5.

MINAL: LOBSTER/SCORPIO (7) to H8

MARGINALIEN: RACCOON (8) to 9C

PRAMOD: LOBSTER/SCORPIO (7) 1I

July 12th

MINAL: SWAN (5) to 6A

MARGINALIEN: GOAT (2) to 2E

PRAMOD: RACCOON (8) to 2B

July 13th

MINAL: GAZELLE (4) to 4F

MARGINALIEN: GAZELLE (4) to 5H

July 14th

PRAMOD: FLAMINGO (9) to 6G; LOBSTER/SCORPIO(7) to 4A; CAMEL(6) to 9F

MINAL: LOBSTER/SCORPIO(7) to 5G; PENGUIN (1) to A9; GOAT (2) to B5

MARGINALIEN: CAT(3): 1E; CAT(3): 5I; CAT(3): 9G

PRAMOD: RACCOON(8) to 5A; FLAMINGO (1) to 1F

July 15th

MINAL: FLAMINGO (9) to 4B; PENGUIN (1) to 8D; CAT (3) to 6F
MARGINALIEN: CAMEL(6) to 5C; FLAMINGO(9) to 5D; SWAN (5) to 5F
PRAMOD: GAZELLE (4) - 6B; PENGUIN (1) - 6C; CAT (3) - 4C

July 18th

MINAL: PENGUIN (1) to 3B; SWAN (5) to 2H; LOBSTER/SCORPIO (7)to 7E
MARGINALIEN: LOBSTER/SCORPIO(7) to 3D; CAMEL(6) to 3E; GOAT(2) to 9I

PRAMOD: GAZELLE(4) to 7A; FLAMINGO (9) to 9H; PENGUIN (1): 7G

July 19th

MINAL: LOBSTER/SCORPIO (7) to 2C; LOBSTER/SCORPIO(7) to 9B; GAZELLE (4) to 9E

MARGINALIEN: SWAN(5) to 9D; FLAMINGO(9) to 2I; RACCOON (8) to 8I

PRAMOD: FLAMINGO (9) to 8E; GOAT(2) to 8F; RACCOON (8) to 7F

July 20th

MINAL: CAMEL(6) to 1B; SWAN (5) to 7B; CAT(3) to 8B

MARGINALIEN:GOAT(2) to 7C; RACCOON(8) to 6F; GOAT to 4H

PRAMOD: RACCOON(8) to 6E; SWAN (5)to 4I; CAMEL(6) to 8A

JULY 22nd

MINAL: GOAT(2) to 3G; CAMEL(6) to 7H; GAZELLE(4) to 8G
JULY 23rd

MARGINALIEN: CAMEL (6) to 8A; RACCOON (8) to 1G

... at long last, I have updated the board with the next few moves! Sorry, sorry, sorry.

AUG 8th: Pramod:

GOAT(2) to 6D

GOAT(2) to 1A

GAZELLE (4) to 1C -- Pramod gets 8 pts for column C

Aug 10th: Minal:

CAT (3) to 2A -- Minal gets 8 pts for box

CAT (3) to 3H

GAZELLE (4) to 3I -- Minal gets 7 pts for box.

*I made three opening moves, just to start the game off.

Also, for the sake of completeness, the names of the critters are:

1= PENGUIN; 2=GOAT; 3=CAT; 4=GAZELLE; 5=SWAN; 6=CAMEL; 7=LOBSTER/SCORPIO; 8=RACCOON; 9=FLAMINGO.

You have just read the article entitled SUDOCRITTERS -- The Game. Please read the article from Yes Certaintly About https://yescertaintly.blogspot.com/2005/07/sudocritters-game.html