Scrambler

Object of the game To earn the most points by creating line segments, boxes, and attempting to capture your opponent.

Setup

1. Cut out the four square tiles and reassemble them to create a larger square.
2. Player one begins by selecting a corner, circling the dot in that location with a colored pen or pencil, and placing his token on that dot. Player two then does the same thing in the opposite corner using a different color pen or pencil (Fig a).

Fig a

Game play

1. At the start of each turn, a player has the option of (1) moving to an open adjacent dot (a dot is considered to be “open” if it has not already been circled by an opponent), or (2) turning one of the four squares one quarter turn, either clockwise or counterclockwise.
2. If a player chooses to moves his token to an adjacent dot, the player then circles that dot, and draws a line segment of his/her color between the two dots. Tokens may only be moved vertically or horizontally, never diagonally. If a line segment created by a player’s move creates a closed box, the player places his initial in that box to claim it. If a box is unclaimed at the start of the next player’s turn, that player may initial it, thereby stealing it. Players may choose to hop between adjacent cards, but lines are never drawn between dots of adjacent cards. Players are simply hopping to the other card without creating a line

Players may move to a dot that they have already claimed, but they may never move back along a line segment that has already been created. A line segment of any color represents a blocked path

3. If a player chooses to rotate a card, the player does so and the player’s turn ends. A card may never be rotated in one direction by one player and then back in the opposite direction by his opponent on the following turn.

4. The game ends when both players agree that it is impossible for either player to create any additional legal line segments. If only one player is unable to move or create a legal line segment, his/her opponent is allowed to continue if he/she can move/rotate squares in such a way that additional line segments can be made. When no more line segments can be created, players tally their points to determine a winner.

5. The game is also brought to an end if one player either moves or hops onto another player’s token, thereby capturing his opponent. If a capture occurs, players still tally their points to determine a winner.

Part of the 4 Tile Contest: http://www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/383408

Freely available: http://www.boardgamegeek.com/article/3169070#3169070