Annotated Games: Version 0.4, 4 players

This game was played during game testing of version 0.4 of Lucca. The players start with slightly different strategies but as the game progresses, tactical considerations become more important as they literally struggle to time the tower top positions and the end of the game.

The tiles are marked with their colors (yellow instead of white, blue, black and red) and a number of the round placed. The towers are marked with the color of the top tile and a letter. The same letter appears to the right of the board, showing all tiles in the tower. After each round, the number of tiles that the players have on their hands is listed.

Starting position

Yellow: 12
Blue: 12
Black: 12
Red: 12

Round 1 (placements 1-4)

B
2

			3
4	4	3

				A	B
A	1			1	2

Yellow (1) places a yellow tile in the left bottom corner and uses a red tile to build a yellow tower. Blue (2) does the same in the left upper corner with a blue and a yellow tile. Black (3) consolidates with a black and a blue tile in the center without building any tower. Red (4) places a red and a black tile on the left edge, aiming at connecting the two towers and let them struggle.

Yellow: 10
Blue: 10
Black: 10
Red: 10

Round 2 (placements 5-8)

B	6
2	7					8

		7		3
4	4		3
								B
		8					A	2	C
A	1				C	5	1	6	5

Yellow (5) builds a second tower with a yellow and a red tile, aiming at merging her two towers. Blue (6) places a blue tile, connecting a black tile to her block and allowing her to add a black tile to her tower. Black (7) continues to build a black presence with another black tile in the center and also adds a red tile to the block in the upper left corner, intending to promote her black tower tile to a future top position. Red (8) hesitates to merge the two blocks, since that would leave yellow as master of one tower and preserve the yellow tiles after the clash. Instead, she consolidates her position in the upper right corner and adds a blue tile to the block of the weaker tower.

Yellow: 9
Blue: 8
Black: 8
Red: 7

Round 3a (placement 9)

B	6
2	7	9				8

		7		3
4	4	9	3
								B
		8					A	2	C
A	1				C	5	1	6	5

Yellow (9) seizes the opportunity to merge the two blocks and win the struggle by having a yellow tile on top of the surviving tower "B". Note that a connection along the left side would split the block, since the blue tile "2" is adjacent to a yellow tile and hence removed due to the struggle. Yellow now controls a block of 17 houses and will win unless the other players break it up. Yellow also earned a blue tile.

Round 3b (after the struggle)

B	6
	7	9				8

		7		3
4	4	9	3

		8						B	C
1	1				C	5	1	6	5

Round 3c (placements 10-12)

B	6
	7	9			10	A
				11
		7		3
4	4	9	3				A
							10	B
		8					12	6	C
1	1				C	5	12	11	5

Blue (10) is not willing to sacrifice more tiles to stop yellow and instead, seeing the many adjacent red and yellow tiles in the block, starts a red tower A with a red and a blue tile. Black (11) is willing to connect the two blocks but first places a black tile in tower B to push her tiles closer to the top and then another red tile adjacent to a yellow tile to have as many opponent tiles removed as possible. Red (12) strengthens her tower A for the inevitable struggle with a red and a yellow tile.

Yellow: 11 (1 blue controlled)
Blue: 4
Black: 7
Red: 10

Round 4a (placements 13-14)

B	6
	7	9			10	A
				11
		7	14	3			A	B
4	4	9	3				10	6
							12	11
		8					12	13	C
1	1				C	5	14	13	5

Yellow (13) also strengthens her tower B but with a yellow and a black tile. Blue (14) decides to make the towers equally high with a blue tile and then merge them with a yellow tile. Since both yellow and red lose the struggle, all adjacent yellow and red tiles in the block are removed.

Round 4b (after the struggle)

13	6
						14

		7	14	3
4	4	9	3

		8					C
1					C	5	5

Round 4c (placements 15-16)

B	6
						14

		7	14	3
4	4	9	3
								A
		8					16	15	B	C
1					C	5		15	16	5

Yellow: 8 (1 blue controlled, 1 removed)
Blue: 9
Black: 7
Red: 4 (1 removed)

Black (15) builds tower A in the largest block but lets blue be on top of it to take the first hit in the next struggle. Red (16) observes the many adjacent black and blue tiles. She starts a black tower B and adds a red tile to the block of tower C, hoping that the yellow-red tower will be left out of the next struggle.

The game was interrupted and the rules updated to version 0.5.