Flaming Pyramids: Preview
Information:
Mechanics: Hand Management, Tile Placement, Take That, Push Your LuckTime: 10 - 20 Minutes
Player Count: 2-6 Players
Designer: Norbert Abel
Publishers: Cheeky Parrot Games
Age Range: 8+
The Game:
In this game you are trying to play all your tiles (materials) to win. To set up, the material tiles are shuffled together and divided equally between all players to create their individual draw piles. If there is any leftover tiles, the remaining will be used to create the base of the pyramid (only the base so don’t start building upwards just yet) except for the ember materials, these are removed from the game.Each player will then draw 5 materials for their starting hand. Each material will have a central image, a specific tile colour and a numerical weight (see image below).
How to play:
So now you are ready to create a structurally unsound pyramid... or you’re just an arsonist and want to watch the pyramid burn... Either way, first you must learn how to play.
Placing a material:
On your turn if you are able to place on top of two materials (like a mini pyramid) or in an open spot between two materials on the base floor (see below image) you must do this, even if it it's not a legal placement. If there are no spaces like this available you can add to the pyramid’s base by placing your material to the left or right to then extend the pyramid hereby creating space for another player to build above it.
When you place a material on top of two other pieces it will either follow the rules where the new colour/number matches one below or it will cause mayhem and disrupt the pyramid.
On your turn if you are able to place on top of two materials (like a mini pyramid) or in an open spot between two materials on the base floor (see below image) you must do this, even if it it's not a legal placement. If there are no spaces like this available you can add to the pyramid’s base by placing your material to the left or right to then extend the pyramid hereby creating space for another player to build above it.
When you place a material on top of two other pieces it will either follow the rules where the new colour/number matches one below or it will cause mayhem and disrupt the pyramid.
Mayhem:
So what's a mayhem you ask? Well, that's when the tiles below a newly placed material collapse or burn and need to be removed to the bottom of the draw deck.Collapses:
These occur if you do not follow the above regulations or if your placed material is overweight. The player who caused the collapse will gain the materials that were crushed (remember the aim is to have no materials left in your hand). The material from above now falls to the previous level of the pyramid although you can choose if it moves to the left or the right as it falls. Then if you’re unlucky, or maybe highly strategic, mayhem can continue again and again.
Now those are all the rules you need for a basic game, ignoring the ember and the wilds but where's the fun in that? So now I shall explain the advance rules, beginning first off with straw fires.
Straw fires:
Straw fires are ember materials with a weight of 1. These fires will ignite any straw material it is placed next to and the fire will spread as long as it it touching a straw tile. This can go on for a while hence the name ‘flaming pyramids’. The active player will then place all the burnt straw in their draw pile and remove the ember from play. Although, if the ember did not cause a fire but got destroyed by other means (such as overweight materials) then it would go to a players draw pile and not be removed from play.
Wood fires:
The ember tiles with a weight of 7 (only these) work the same was as above except they also burn wood to create a larger fire; someone call the fire brigade!
Explosion:
Just when you thought this pyramid couldn't get anymore destructive, in come explosions.When two or more embers touch each other, KABOOM! Each material adjacent to these materials will burn to a cinder and go under the active players draw pile and embers will be removed from play.
Wild material:
The wild material works like normal material except it counts as any colour, and it's massive with a weight of 200.
Curses:
This is where you can purposefully mess with another player. If you have three materials with the same weight forming a mini pyramid (two at the bottom and one on the top, see below) then the player to the right of you must add all 3 tiles to their draw pile as well as any cards involved in any destruction caused by mayhem after these materials have been removed.
Although the idea of mayhem conjures thoughts of disorganisation and chaos, but here, there is an order that the mayhem’s will follow:
- Collapses
- Explosions
- Fire
- Curses
You will have to go through this order again any time any of these mayhem's occur. Finally, at the end of your turn you will draw materials until your hand consists of 5 tiles.
Who's it for:
Now remember this is not a final version; the art specifically will go through a major overhaul (see image below), although even it’s unfinished form, Flaming Pyramids is a deceptively simple yet fun and exciting game to play. Start up can be slow when you begin but as you progress in raising the pyramid, you discover the trap potential by using lightweight materials and embers to set up fire traps. The game is a great filler that you can replay over and over again. Fans of easy to teach games such as uno, exploding kittens, or love letter will feel right at home with the wonderous Flaming Pyramids.
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