Daily Idea #241: Tapatan

If you have never heard of Tapatan, I am glad I can introduce it to you. If you have heard about it, then get playing!

Tapatan is a 2 player game from the Philippines that is really easy to set up but takes some brain power to play. To set up the game, draw a square with 4 intersecting lines (one from one corner diagonally across, one from the other corner diagonally across, one down the middle and one across the middle). In each of the connection points mark it with a dot (the black marks on the picture below) The game pieces (the yellow and red pieces on the picture below) can be any 3 matching pieces— beads, game pieces from a different game, etc…

The game is played in two steps. Step 1 is the drop step. Each player takes a turn placing each of their 3 pieces on the board on top of one of the board dots. Once all pieces are out on the board, take turns moving the pieces on the lines to maneuver them into three in a row. Whomever gets their pieces three in a row first wins— no jumping other game pieces.