Hop It!

Cameron Browne
2009

Introduction

Hop It! is a game for two players set in a lily pond full of nervous frogs and tadpoles.
They’re nervous because the pond is also a nesting ground for the Blue-Headed Frogmuncher.

Equipment

The pond is a 6x7 hex grid with lily pads down the left and right sides, surrounded by Frogmunchers.

Each player has nine pieces of their colour showing a tadpole on one side and a frog on the other.

Play

The game starts with the pieces placed in the pond as shown. White makes the first move.

Each turn the current player moves one of their tadpoles or frogs.

Tadpoles: Can swim to any empty neighbouring cell (but not a lily!)

Frogs: Can either make a tadpole move or hop over a neighbouring piece (of either colour) to an empty cell or lily directly beyond it. Frogs must hop over a neighbouring enemy piece if possible.

Multiple hops can be made per move, as long as no piece is hopped over more than once (only one enemy must be hopped over, if possible). If a hopping move ends on a lily, then the frog must move off it immediately next turn or a Frogmuncher will eat it; any frog that does not move off a lily next turn is removed.

Any tadpole (of either colour) hopped over immediately matures to become a frog by turning it over. They grow up quickly in this pond! Any enemy frog hopped over is scared to death by the shadow and removed.

Example

For example, the blue arrows in the following diagram show possible moves for a tadpole, and the red arrows show a hopping move for a frog. This hopping move would convert a black tadpole to a frog, scare (capture) a white frog, and convert a white tadpole to a frog. This move ends up on a lily, so the frog will have to move again next turn or be eaten (captured) by a Frogmuncher.

Aim

A player wins as soon as the opponent is reduced to a single piece; not having any breeding partners, its species dies out.

History

Rules and design by Cameron Browne © 2009.

Thanks to Stephen Tavener for suggestions and playtesting that improved the rules.