Volleyball Returns Game - Physical Rules Edition
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This is a physical, tiny, 2-player game entry! Feedback is always welcome, I plan to read all comments Sunday. PDF rules are attached and copied below. Enjoy!
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Each player leads 6 character tokens in a tiny game of volleyball to see who can protect their side the longest.
Goal of the Game: Earn 1 point each time the other player fails to return the volleyball over the net. The first player to earn 4 points wins.
Suggested Players: 2
Estimated Play Time: 5-15 minutes
Materials:
- 12 character tokens, 6 per player
- 1 or 2 dice, 6-sided
- 12 by 3 tile board
Board Description:
- The center of the board is divided by a net vertically.
- Columns are labeled with column 1 touching the net and column 6 touching the end of the board.
- An extra column 7 for serving the volleyball is located past the end of the board.
Setup: Arrange the board with 6 pieces on each side. The youngest player goes first.
1. Both players place their 6 pieces on their side of the board, in squares without overlapping their pieces.
2. The active player removes one character piece closest to the back column 6 and places that character piece into the serving zone, before serving the volleyball.
3. The active player rolls both dice to serve the volleyball.
4. The active player's piece that moved back during step 2 then hits the volleyball over the net.
5. The volleyball starts to land on the opponent's side at a location where the first die determines the X axis and the second die determines the Y axis.
6. The receiving player may move up to 3 of their pieces one space in any direction, without crossing the center dividing line net, to try to intercept the volleyball.
7. If the receiving player has 3 pieces in a straight, contiguous line without gaps, where one end of the line overlaps with the volleyball, then the volleyball is successfully intercepted. Go back to step 3 except the player roles are reversed.
8. If the ball is not successfully intercepted, then the previous active player to hit the volleyball over the net, as mentioned in step 4, earns 1 point.
9. If a player has 4 points, then they win.
10. Otherwise, the last player to earn a point becomes the active player.
11. Go back to step 1.
- Big Leagues: Increase the board height from 3 to 6, and allow the character pieces to move one extra square every turn, including during an opponent's turn.
- Underdog Boost: If a player is behind, then they may choose where the volleyball lands for their opponent without rolling.
Game design and rules by @NBumgardner on 4/28/2023.
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Volleyball Returns Game
Each player leads 6 character tokens in a tiny game of volleyball to see who can protect their side the longest.
Goal of the Game: Earn 1 point each time the other player fails to return the volleyball over the net. The first player to earn 4 points wins.
What You Need to Play
Suggested Players: 2
Estimated Play Time: 5-15 minutes
Materials:
- 12 character tokens, 6 per player
- 1 or 2 dice, 6-sided
- 12 by 3 tile board
Board Description:
- The center of the board is divided by a net vertically.
- Columns are labeled with column 1 touching the net and column 6 touching the end of the board.
- An extra column 7 for serving the volleyball is located past the end of the board.
| Axes | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5, 6 | ||||||||||||
| 3, 4 | ||||||||||||
| 1, 2 |
How to Play
Setup: Arrange the board with 6 pieces on each side. The youngest player goes first.
1. Both players place their 6 pieces on their side of the board, in squares without overlapping their pieces.
2. The active player removes one character piece closest to the back column 6 and places that character piece into the serving zone, before serving the volleyball.
3. The active player rolls both dice to serve the volleyball.
4. The active player's piece that moved back during step 2 then hits the volleyball over the net.
5. The volleyball starts to land on the opponent's side at a location where the first die determines the X axis and the second die determines the Y axis.
6. The receiving player may move up to 3 of their pieces one space in any direction, without crossing the center dividing line net, to try to intercept the volleyball.
7. If the receiving player has 3 pieces in a straight, contiguous line without gaps, where one end of the line overlaps with the volleyball, then the volleyball is successfully intercepted. Go back to step 3 except the player roles are reversed.
8. If the ball is not successfully intercepted, then the previous active player to hit the volleyball over the net, as mentioned in step 4, earns 1 point.
9. If a player has 4 points, then they win.
10. Otherwise, the last player to earn a point becomes the active player.
11. Go back to step 1.
Alternative Game Modes
- Big Leagues: Increase the board height from 3 to 6, and allow the character pieces to move one extra square every turn, including during an opponent's turn.
- Underdog Boost: If a player is behind, then they may choose where the volleyball lands for their opponent without rolling.
Credits
Game design and rules by @NBumgardner on 4/28/2023.