Appearance
Simple rules (players)
Learn basic play in about 3 minutes — Watch on YouTube. Tiebreak / Immortal takes a few more minutes — demo & script.
This page is a linear, plain-language walkthrough. Authoritative text, edge cases, seating, and research notes live on Rules (v1.13). Illustrated path (placeholders for stills): How to play. Play-along script: YouTube demo & tutorial.
Setup: 2 players · 6 gray board dice · 2 Red Crystal dice (one per player) · optional playmat.
Goal
Middle Game Shown Here.
Score more gold than your opponent. Each of your 3 Crucible dice can score 1 in a scoring phase if its top is 6 or equal to your own Red Crystal’s top; everything else scores 0. Your Red Crystal never scores in the main game (it matters for Immortal).
You score twice: once on current tops (Phase 1), then after the Tumble (Phase 2). Add both phases. Higher total wins. If still tied, Immortal breaks the tie.
Setup
First player — Each rolls a die; higher roll is Player A (ties re-roll until decided).
Red Crystal (each player, own die)
- Roll for top. If top is 6, roll again until you get 1–5.
- Note Facing Players Value — the value on the side facing you (if unclear, re-roll setup).
- Place the Crystal left of your Crucible; it does not move during normal play.
Board — Each player rolls 3 gray dice. Line all 6 gray dice in a row, sorted by top (low → high), sides visible. This is the draft pool.
(Side-by-side seating and visibility: see Rules — Setup.)
Key terms
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Top | Value on the upper face of a die. |
| Facing Players Value | Value on the face toward both players; you set it with a Twist. |
| Twist | Rotate a die without changing its top — you choose which face is the Facing Players Value. |
| Tumble | Rotate a Crucible die forward (away from you); its Facing Players Value becomes the new top. |
| Crucible | Your sorted row of 3 drafted gray dice, each stored as (top, Facing Players Value). |
The draft
A goes first; players alternate. On your turn:
- Take one gray die from the Board.
- Twist it to set its Facing Players Value (this drives Phase 2 after the Tumble).
- Place it in your Crucible, sorted by top (low → high).
When the Board is empty, each player has 3 Crucible dice. Important: Phase 1 scores tops; after the Tumble, Phase 2 scores what used to be the facing.
Poisoned Gift (Exchange)
You each give one Crucible die to the opponent and choose the Facing Players Value they receive.
Which die can you give? Look at four tops: your 3 Crucible + your Red Crystal.
- If any value repeats among those four, you must gift a Crucible die from the duplicates with the lowest top among the repeated values.
- If all four tops are different, you may gift any Crucible die.
- You never gift your Red Crystal.
Examples (the four tops: your 3 Crucible + Red Crystal):
2, 2, 4, 5→ duplicates include 2 → gift a Crucible die showing 2 (lowest top among repeated values).2, 3, 5, 5→ duplicates are 5 → gift a Crucible die showing 5.1, 3, 4, 6→ all different → any Crucible die is allowed.
Reveal — In v1.13, both players set their gift in secret, then reveal and swap at the same time. Re-sort Crucibles.
The Reckoning
Phase 1 — Score your 3 Crucible tops (gold = 6 or your Crystal top).
Tumble — Tumble each of your 3 Crucible dice once (Crystal stays put). Facing → new top.
Phase 2 — Score again on the new tops. Add Phase 1 + Phase 2. Higher total wins.
Immortal tiebreaker
If totals are tied, Crucible dice stay frozen in their Phase 2 pose. Only Red Crystal dice change for the tiebreak sequence:
- Tie Tumble 1 — Tumble each Crystal forward; its Facing Players Value becomes its new top. Re-score Crucibles with the usual gold rule.
- Tie Tumble 2 — If still tied, flip each Crystal (bottom → top). Score again.
- Tie Tumble 3 — If still tied, tumble each Crystal forward once more. Score again.
Still tied → draw.
One fact to remember
On a standard die, opposite faces sum to 7. When you Twist, you cannot choose 7 − top as the Facing Players Value.
Very short version
- Draft 3 gray dice each; each pick commits top (Phase 1) and facing (Phase 2).
- Gift one Crucible die each (duplicate rule above); simultaneous reveal in v1.13.
- Score → Tumble Crucibles → score again.
- Tie → Immortal on the Crystals.
- Your scoring numbers each phase are always 6 and your Crystal’s current top.
After your first game
- Full Rules v1.13 — canon, variants, notes (same text as RULES.md on GitHub).
- Home — project context (optional).