Big Bug

TBD

Designer(s): uriquack Match Type: DM (for 2 players)
Featured in: The Genius: House of Larks

Big Bug


In this game, players win mini challenges to build the biggest Big Bug.


General


The game is played over the course of 16 rounds. Each round consists of a two phase setup. In the first phase, players play a minigame. Winning a minigame earns a player the right to claim a tile on the board in the second phase.


The game is played on a hexagonal board of nineteen tiles. Each ‘Row’ will be labeled with a letter; the notation denoting each tile will refer to its row and the its position from the leftmost tile; the leftmost tile of Row A, for example, will be tile A1. Each tile will be labled with a numeric value.



While the hexagonal board for the game will remain as shown above, the tiles’ number values will be revealed at the beginning of the Death Match.


First Phase: Minigames


There are 16 minigames total.


The minigames will not be revealed until they are played during the Death Match. Minigames can categorically fall under the following:


Arithmetic/Mathematics

Linguistics

Mystery Sign Variants/Zendolikes

Memory

Miscellaneous Problem Solving

Observation

Reaction Speed and Reflex

Strategy


There are two minigames of each category. Players alternate selecting their desired minigame category; the Death Match Opponent chooses who is first to decide the first minigame category.


These minigames can be won or solved through Discord text messages alone; you will be provided with a clear set of instructions at the time of play. Calculators and external programming tools are not allowed during the Death Match but are allowed for practice. Any form of notes or note storage (i.e. Excel without formulas) is allowed.


Second Phase: Bug and Score Calculation


During the play phase, the winner of the minigame claims a singular tile on the hexagonal board.


The player’s goal during the second phase is to create the highest value Big Bug.


The Big Bug is the greatest numerical value that can be formed from the sum of values of consecutive hexagon tiles you have claimed.


For example, in the example image below, where Uriquack’s claimed tiles are yellow and Spadez’s claimed tiles are blue, Uriquack’s Big Bug holds a value of 1+2+3+1+2+1=10, whereas Spadez’s Big Bug holds a value of 3+1+3+1+3+2=14.



The player with a Big Bug of higher value wins the Death Match.


If the Big Bug values are tied, the Death Match Opponent wins the Death Match.


Administration and Time Controls


All player submissions are public actions.


The first phase (minigame) of each round may last a maximum of 8 minutes. After 8 minutes have elapsed and neither player has solved or won the minigame, the minigame is automatically won by the player who selected the minigame. (This does not apply to minigames that are specified as exceptions to this rule.)


During the second phase, after the second phase is declared, players have 1 minute to submit their claim.


Players have a total of 3 minutes’ worth of reserve time (in 1 second increments). If a player runs out of reserve, they automatically lose the Death Match.


The game ends after 16 rounds, or when it is determinable that a player cannot mathematically surpass the other’s Big Bug.


Clarification: General online tools of assistance are allowed; however, do not use anything that can directly solve for the problem. Using scrabble dictionary checker to check the validity of a word, for example, is okay, but using nutrimatic for determining the index of characters within a word is not.


Obviously, this cannot be enforced, so this is running off an honors system.


Additionally, you may not take notes or use any tools during the Memory minigames.


Clarification: Some minigames’ 8 minute timers will not begin until after I have given a brief period to parse rules. Before each minigame, I will tell you whether my following message immediately prompts an answer.


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