Board Game Designers Forum

ABOUT THE GAME
Players: 2-4
Age range: 6-106

The object of the game is to win either by getting a piece across to the other side of the board or by removing all opponents' pieces from the board.

EQUIPMENT
4 long frame segments
8 short frame segments
1 cross-shaped board section (3x3 missing corner squares)
8 square board sections (2x2)
16 angled board sections (L-shaped, 2x2 missing 1 square)
14 long board sections (1x3)
22 short board sections (1x2)
5 colour dice
20 player pieces
20 start tokens

The sides of the dice are coloured red, green, blue, yellow, cyan, magenta. Each square of the board sections (not the frame) is one of those colours, in theory chosen randomly. All board sections have both sides printed.

The cross piece has a star on its central square on both sides.

SETTING UP
Assemble the board frame into a square, with each side using one long and one short frame segment. Place the cross-shaped board section at the centre of the frame and construct a board around it using other sections until a square board has been created within the frame. Ensure that the starred square remains at the centre of the board.

It is not necessary to ensure that the pattern of colours on the board is the same for each game.

Each player takes four pieces with the same number of points (4, 5, 6 or 8), and four start tokens which are the same colours as the bases of the pieces.

Pieces should be placed on the board on the 3rd, 5th, 7th and 9th squares along the edge nearest to that player. Place the start tokens on the frame behind each piece with the crossed side uppermost such that their colour matches the piece to which they are adjacent.

DECIDING WHO STARTS
Each player rolls all five dice. Whoever gets the most reds starts the game. In the event of a tie, those players roll until there is a winner.

METHOD OF PLAY
At the beginning of a player’s turn, that player rolls one colour die more than they have pieces remaining on the board (up to a maximum of 5). They may then:

1. move a piece (or pieces);
2. return a piece to the board;
3. pass their turn.

Play passes anticlockwise (i.e. to the player on that person’s left) at the end of each turn.

MOVING A PIECE (OR PIECES)
The basics
A move is made when a piece passes from one board square to an adjacent square.

The maximum number of moves a player may make in their turn is determined by the highest number of the same colour rolled on the dice. For instance, if a player rolls all different colours then only one move may be made; if three dice show the same colour then up to three moves may be made.

The squares on to which a player may move a piece in their turn are indicated by the colours shown on the dice.

A colour may only be used once per die rolled of that colour. For example, if a player rolls red-red-red-green-blue, they may make up to 3 moves but may still only make one move on to a green square; if blue-blue-yellow-yellow-red is rolled, they may make two moves the same colour or one move of two different colours.

It is not obligatory to use the same piece for each move made.

Piece movement
Pieces may move forwards or backwards to any immediately adjacent square, as shown to the right. Pieces may not move directly sideways.

Only one piece may occupy any square at any time. A player may not move a piece on to a square that is already occupied except to capture an opponent’s piece.

The star in the centre of the board
If a piece begins the turn on a row beyond the star from that player’s perspective, it may move only one square per turn. If a piece begins the turn on the same row as the star, from the current player’s perspective, that piece may move only one square forwards but may move backwards freely.

Any piece moved multiple times in the same turn may not go beyond the row containing the star in that turn (from that player’s perspective).

Start tokens
After a piece has been moved from its starting position, its start token should be turned over to show the uncrossed side. This shows that the piece has moved. The start token is not turned over if the piece moves back to its original position (unless it is returned to the board from out of play; see below).

Discarding moves
A player may choose not to use all of their available moves in that turn. However, the unused moves are forfeited and may not be ‘banked’ in any way.

CAPTURING PIECES
A player may capture another player’s piece by moving on to an already occupied square. The opposing piece is removed from the board and that player loses the use of one of the colour dice.

If a player has no pieces on the board then they are out of the game and have lost.

Pieces that have not been moved may not be captured.

RETURNING A PIECE TO THE BOARD
If one or more of a player’s pieces has been captured, that player may elect to return one piece to the board instead of making a normal move. This may be done only if the dice show two or more of the same colour.

If two dice show the same colour, the piece may be returned to its own starting square if the square is unoccupied. The start token should be turned back over to the crossed side. If a piece’s starting square is not vacant, the piece may not be returned to the board.

If three or more dice show the same colour, the piece may be returned to any unoccupied starting square. If the square to which it is returned is not its original starting square, the two start tokens should be exchanged. The start token for the piece returned to the board should be turned back over to the crossed side.

A piece returned to the board in this manner is considered not to have moved. After it is next moved the start token should be turned over to the uncrossed side as normal.

PASSING A TURN
After rolling the colour dice, a player may consider it advantageous not to make a move and instead pass their turn. Play passes to the player on their left as usual.

There is no limit to the number of moves a player may pass.

ROLLING THE WRONG NUMBER OF DICE
If a player rolls an incorrect number of dice on their turn, whether too many or too few, and completes their move such that the turn passes to the next player, they shall be subject to a penalty.

That player shall move each of their pieces straight backwards by one square, unless that piece is already at the player’s edge of the board. If a piece would be moved on to an occupied square, it is moved backwards to the first available unoccupied square.

Should a piece be returned to its starting position by this penalty, the start token is not turned back over to the crossed side.

WINNING THE GAME
The winner is the first player to get one piece across the board to the other side, or the last player with pieces remaining on the board.

VARIATIONS
Team Play
Rainbow Passage lends itself very well to teams of 2 players each. Members of teams may play either on opposite or adjacent sides of the board.

If a team game is played, then both members of the team must get pieces across the board in order to win.

See also the ‘Different board size’ and ‘Alternative starting positions’ sections below.

Harder Winning Conditions
To make the game more difficult, it may be decided that some or all players must get more than one piece across the board. In this case, pieces removed from the board after crossing successfully may not be returned and the use of one colour die is lost as normal for each piece removed. Also, only one piece may be removed from the board per turn.

No Returns for Captured Pieces
A more challenging game may be played if captured pieces are not permitted to be returned to the board.

Extra Piece
The game may be played with each player receiving 5 pieces and start tokens. The additional piece begins on the middle square of the row nearest to the player.

There remains a maximum of five colour dice; however, a player may have one piece captured without losing the use of a colour die.

Different Board Sizes
It is possible to vary the challenge of the game to a significant degree by changing the size and shape of the board; this is, in fact, part of the very design of the game. By varying the number of short frame segments used in the construction of the frame it is possible to achieve boards ranging in size from 9x9 squares to 13x13, or rectangular boards with up to 17 squares per side.

Players are actively encouraged to experiment with different board sizes and find the combinations they enjoy playing the most.

However, all rules, including those regarding legal starting positions for pieces, still apply.

Alternate Starting Positions
It is necessary for some combinations of board size and numbers of players to alter the initial positions of the pieces: e.g. if four players are playing on a board of 9x9 squares. In such cases, the pieces should be placed according to the following rules:

1. All pieces must begin on the row nearest to the player.
2. No piece may begin the game on the outer left or right edges of the board, from that player’s perspective.
3. No two pieces belonging to different players may begin the game on adjacent rows or columns, even if pieces belong to players on the same team.

The principle behind the above rules is to ensure that all pieces have full freedom of forward movement at the beginning of the game and ensure that no player enjoys any unfair advantage.

It is legal for pieces to be bunched together in adjacent squares — in fact, this situation is inevitable if 4 players play on a 9x9 board.

It is also legal for pieces to begin the game unequally distributed along the side of the board as long as the three above conditions are still met.