Eight-by-Eight 2013

It's like Pente, but on a smaller board with a dash of luck and little press-your-luck for garnish on top! Your goal: Form a straight, contiguous horizontal, vertical, or diagonal line of at least five pieces of your color. For 2 to 4 players. Plays in 30 to 45 minutes.

You play Eight-by-Eight in the spaces of an 8x8 grid. Each column and row is numbered so every space is paired with a unique pair of numbers from 1 to 8 (ex: The spaces 4,2; 4,3; 4,4; and 4,5 are adjacent to each other and form a straight horizontal line.). On your turn you roll an eight-sided die. Now you have a choice: Play a piece in any vacant space in the row or column you rolled (ex: You roll a "6." You may play in any vacant space in the column numbered "6" or the row numbered "6.") or you can place one of your pieces on the number you rolled to "black it out" and roll again. If you roll a number you've blacked out, your turn immediately ends.

The first player to get five or more pieces in a straight line (horizontal, vertical, or diagonal) wins the game. Quick, easy, and with more strategy than you'd expect.