SlideAscope 2024

To win SlideAscope, you need to collect the most valuable tiles from the 'scope, with each tile having a value from 1-4 in its center and four (of six) half symbols on its four edges.

To set up the game, draw forty tiles from the bag and place them in a 5x8 grid inside the included frame, with the one open edge on the short side of the grid. Each player gets a tile at random, with the remaining tiles being placed in face-down stacks.

On a turn, place your tile in an empty space at the top of a column. If the symbol on the left or right edge of your placed tile matches the symbol on the adjacent tile, remove the matched tile — not the one you placed — then slide down any tiles above the one just removed. If the symbols match again, remove that tile as well! Next, check whether the symbol on the bottom edge of your placed tile matches the symbol on the tile below it; if so, remove that matched tile, then slide down the tile you placed, which will possible create more matches. Place all of these removed tiles in front of you.

Once on your turn, you can discard a tile in front of you to rotate the tile you placed that turn. If you make more matches, remove the matched tiles and slide columns as necessary until your placed tile has no more matches. (If two half symbols make a completed symbol elsewhere in the grid, leave them in place. Only matches with the tile you placed this turn matter.)

When at least one column is empty, continue taking turns until everyone has had the same number of turns, then sum the values of the tiles you've collected. Whoever has the highest sum wins.