The Lamp Rules

Game Objective

As moths, compete to earn the most points by landing on spaces and collecting cards & light orbs, but WATCH OUT for the Lamp. Follow the Lamp and get as close as possible WITHOUT touching it or ELSE your moth will DIE.

Contents

  • 1 Game Board
  • 4 Moth Pawns
  • Light Orbs (not sure how much yet) 
  • Trading Post Cards (not sure how much yet)
  • 1 Lamp
  • Hazard Space Cards (not sure how much yet) 
  • 2 Dice, Numbered 1-6
  • 1 Lamp State Die
  • 4 Survival Achievement Cards

Setup

  1. Place the Game Board in the center of the table. Place the Lamp in its designated spot on the Game Board. Keep the Lamp turned off. 
  2. Place the Trading Post Cards, Hazard Space Cards, and Light Orbs in their respective piles next to the Game Board. Set the Survival Achievement Cards aside for later. 
  3. Every player selects a Moth Pawn. Place the Moth Pawns at the beginning of the Game Board. 

The player who rolls the highest number on the numbered dice goes first. Play proceeds in a clockwise direction.

Gameplay

By rolling the die/dice, players must try to get their moths the closest to the Lamp without touching it. Becoming the closest moth will award the most points, however, moths that touch the Lamp will die. Additional points are earned by collecting  Light Orbs, which can be traded for more points at Trading Posts.

On Your Turn

  1. Determine if you will KEEP PLAYING

Before you officially begin your turn, you MUST DECIDE if you are going to continue playing if you are close to the Lamp. REMEMBER: if your moth touches the Lamp, it will die and you will be disqualified. Players MAY NOT change their decision after they have chosen to roll the die. 

  1. Roll the Lamp State Die

Roll the Lamp State Die to determine the state of the Lamp during your turn (on/off). 

  • When ON is rolled on the Lamp State Die, turn the Lamp on (or leave it on if it already was). From here, your turn will proceed by rolling 2 numbered dice. 
  • When OFF is rolled on the Lamp State Die, turn the Lamp off (or leave it off if it already was). From here, your turn will proceed by rolling 1 numbered die. 
  1. Roll the Numbered Die/Dice

Based on the state indicated on the Lamp State Die, roll 1-2 dice to determine how many spaces your Moth will move. Move your Moth Pawn the number of spaces indicated on the die/dice. 

  1. Follow the Space’s Actions

Based on the space where you landed, follow the instructions for that specific space in the Board Spaces section.

Board Spaces

There are 3 different types of spaces on the Game Board: Light Orbs, Trading Posts, and Hazard Spaces.

Light Orb Spaces

Light Orb Spaces allow players to collect Light Orbs that can be traded for items at Trading Posts. Roll 1 Die to determine how many Light Orbs you collect. 

  • IF YOU ROLL 1-3 on the die: Collect 1 Light Orb
  • IF YOU ROLL 4-6 on the die: Collect 2 Light Orbs

Orbs are worth 1 point at the end of the game.

Trading Post Spaces

Trading Post Spaces allow players to trade their Light Orbs for various light-up objects. When you land on a Trading Post Space:

  • First, draw 3 Trading Post Cards from the Trading Post Card deck. 
  • Second, select 1 Trading Post Card that you would like to purchase, if any. 
  • Third, to purchase the card, return the number of Light Orbs indicated on the Trading Post Card to the pile of Light Orbs.
    • The number of Light Orbs you pay is indicated by the state of the Lamp. 
  • Finally, return all non purchased Trading Post Cards to the bottom of the deck. 

Trading Post Cards are worth varying amounts at the end of the game. The amount of points that a Trading Post Card is worth is indicated on the card. 

ADD EXAMPLE OF TRADING POST CARDS/SPACES HERE.

Hazard Spaces

Hazard Spaces make you LOSE POINTS when something bad happens to your moth. When you land on a Hazard Space:

  • Draw a Hazard Space Card
  • Hold onto this card until the end of the game

ADD EXAMPLE OF HAZARD CARDS/SPACES HERE. 

End of the Game

Players DECIDE the end of the game for themselves. Players must decide before each turn if they want to continue for the chance to get closer to the Lamp and earn more points.  REMEMBER: A player is ELIMINATED from the game if they touch the Lamp. 

When all players have decided to stop playing or have been otherwise eliminated, points are tallied. The player with the most points wins. 

  • Award the 4 Survival Achievement Cards to the players according to how close they got to the lamp.
    • 1st goes to the closest, 4th goes to the player farthest away, etc. 
    • ONLY award achievement cards for the amount of players you have at the end of the game. For example, if you have 4 players but 1 player got eliminated, award 3 Survival Achievement Cards. 
    • In the event of a tie, whoever rolls the highest on the dice gets the Achievement Card of higher points. 
  • Count how many Light Orbs you have. Each Orb is worth 1 point. 
  • Add the points from your purchased Trading Post Cards. 
  • Subtract 1 point for every Hazard Space Card you have.

If after tallying all of these points, there is a tie, the winner is the closest player to the Lamp.

8 Replies to “The Lamp Rules”

  1. The board for this I think will be key. Since we’re playing as moths are all the paths to the light direct or can players meander… Moths always seem to bounce off objects as they fly. Is the board square or circular, I feel like i want to fly around the light, not just to it.

    1. I was originally thinking of having the board be square, but I like the idea of a circular board a lot, so I might pivot to that.

  2. I like the concept of deciding when the game ends…”The more you play the riskier it is” concept adds a fun element of suspense.

    1. yes that’s what I was thinking, I hope that that translates during the first playtest

  3. I have always liked this idea, I feel that it leaves a lot of room for very good concept art.

  4. I LOVED the art in this game! The metaphor is spot on! I loved the fact that if the light is on, you roll more dice and fly faster – great idea. I feel like their are way more trading post cards than necessary. I wanted to use them more and play longer. Maybe if you buy a trading post light, it distracts you and you go backward?

    Overall, unique game with great art and a good metaphor.

    1. Thank you, I am glad you enjoyed it! I definitely agree that there needs to be more action with the trading cards and I would love to explore that idea!

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