LOCTOPUS

A Dice Game By Simon Edward Jepps
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How To Play

Loctopus is a unique game for two or more players and which uses FIVE D8s (8-sided dice), a pen and some paper. Eight-sided dice, or 'octahedrons' thus labelled 1-8, are widely available and oftentimes very beautiful, like gems or crystals.

Game duration is estimated at about an hour or maybe two, but the end-point is decided by the dice, so it is not possible to give a definite time-frame. Yet this is a truly entertaining & totally fantastical dice game with an open-ended top-scoreboard ~ which means the highest ever score in Loctopus can always be contended!

The player with the HIGHEST GRAND SCORE when the FIFTH KEY is matched WINS THE GAME.

Essentially the game revolves around collecting KEYS which empower your scoring momentum. Thus, whilst juggling the dice for highest scoring hands, you try and manipulate the dice to award you more KEYS or high-scoring Bonus Hands.

Before the GAME STARTS one person MUST roll ALL the dice ONCE to generate the first KEY of five random numbers.
- This KEY serves as the Bonus Target and is changed/re-rolled whenever someone successfully matches the current KEY.
A maximum of FIVE KEYS can be awarded/matched to each player, each with increasing benefits.

Players thence take it in turns to roll all five D8s, re-rolling some or all dice ONCE again, in order to attempt to achieve the highest score for each hand. Thus, either as a stand-alone score, a Bonus Hand score, or by successfully matching a KEY.

The FIRST roll of the game determines the FIRST KEY of values.
- The dice are then passed to the NEXT player to actually begin play.
Each KEY matched is worth a Bonus 40 points // The FIFTH KEY a Bonus 85 points.
- The scorer rolls a NEW KEY whenever he/she matches one.
Match THREE KEYS to receive an EXTRA 3rd ROLL on each hand thereafter.
Match FOUR KEYS to receive an EXTRA 4th ROLL on each hand thereafter.
Match FIVE KEYS to receive the 85 points Bonus & END THE GAME.

Following ANY KEY creation the dice are ALWAYS then passed to the NEXT player.

Herewith, those are the main principles of the game. In addition there are some...
Bonus Hands.

FIVE Of A Kind scores a Bonus 35 points.
THREE Of A Kind & TWO Of Another scores a Bonus 30 points.
Sequential 1-5, 2-6, 3-7, 4-8 scores a Bonus 25 points.

Remember: Regardless of how many KEYS are matched between players, ONLY whence FIVE KEYS are matched by ONE player does the GAME END. There may be MANY KEYS matched during a game; the maximum possible KEYS between TWO players would thus be NINE.

Also: Should the/any player with the LOWER score match a FIFTH KEY FIRST, the player can merely NOT claim the Bonus, allowing the game to continue with the current KEY unchanged.

Scoresheets should feature a tally of KEYS matched by each player in addition to their ongoing score and of course a region to note down each KEY.

It is true, sometimes the FIFTH KEY may take a very long time to be matched. In fact on very rare occassions a game can last not just hours, but even days!

Summary

In truth I tell you, no matter how anyone else may laugh, owning a set of dearly beloved Loctopus dice is like owning a cherished pet. In short, you don't own Loctopus... You own "A" Loctopus.

There are literally thousands upon thousands of different D8s now on the market, all with different qualities of design and most costing about 30 pence to a pound each. Yet some particularly ornate D8s are much more expensive. If it interests, my Loctopus dice featured above are Antique Gold & Amber Mica design by TDSO and cost £6 each.

I am looking to perhaps release Loctopus myself with a bulk of good looking D8s direct from the actual manufacturer. This would of course bring the total retail price of my game as a commercial product right down to under £10. Yet most people could just buy five cheap D8s for about £2.00 and download the PDF here at Jeppsquare. So it's no big deal at this time ~ only to give people some lovely dice (with pouch & rules) at a lesser price! Anyway we'll see...

Thank you for reading.

O'games ⨗