Annotated Games: Version 0.5, 4 players

This game was played during game testing of version 0.5 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 3 (placements 9-12)

B	6
2	7		11			8

		7		3			A	B
4	4		3					2
							1	6
		8	11				12	10
A	1		9	9	5	5	12	10

Yellow (9) decides to protect her tower against the blue tower by merging with her other tower. The merged tower is equally high as the blue tower but the block is larger. Blue (10) responds by adding 2 tiles to her tower. Connecting the two blocks would only benefit Yellow (as the strongest tower would be left with a Yellow top tile) so Black continues with her presence strategy. Red decides to prepare a connection by first strengthening the weaker of the two towers.

Yellow: 6
Blue: 7
Black: 6
Red: 5

Round 4a (placements 13-15)

B	6
2	7		11			8	A	B
								2
14		7		3			1	6
4	4	15	3				12	10
							12	10
		8	11				13	14
A	1		9	9	5	5	13	15

With a block greater than 8 (the victory condition), Yellow decides to build on her tower and force the other players to react. Note that she already has the maximum number of 3 yellow tiles in the tower (equal to the yellow tiles in the block) and hence adds a black and a blue tile instead. Blue's tower has reached its maximum number of tiles so she must place another tile in the block first and then add a tile to the tower. Black decides that it's time to connect the two towers by completing her strong black block, but first she adds a red tile to the blue tower to make them equally high. The two towers will now struggle...

Yellow: 6
Blue: 6
Black: 4
Red: 4

Round 4b (placements 16)

15	6		C16
	7		11			8

14		7		3
4	4	15	3

		8	11				A13	C16
A	1		9	9	5	5	13	16

The towers are equally high but the Yellow block is 11 houses compared to the 10 houses of the Blue block so the Yellow tower wins. 6 houses are removed from the Blue tower, of which the top Blue house is awarded to Yellow. 5 houses are removed from the Yellow tower, leaving a Black house as the new top house and hence the top Yellow house is awarded to Black. In the now merged block, there is 1 Blue house and 1 Yellow house that are adjacent and they are removed, leaving a slightly smaller block. Red creates a Blue tower to challenge the Black tower.

Yellow: 9 (1 Blue prisoner)
Blue: 7
Black: 5 (1 Yellow prisoner)
Red: 6

Round 5a (placements 17-18)

15	6		C16
	7		11			8
			18
14		7		3
4	4	15	3					C16
							A13	16
		8	11				13	17
A13	1		9	9	5	5	17	18

Yellow adds a tile of her own to the stronger tower while also adding a red tile to the weaker tower to get rid of the black top tile. Blue doesn't expect her tower to survive long and decides to trigger a struggle on her own condition.

Yellow: 7 (1 Blue prisoner)
Blue: 6
Black: 5 (1 Yellow prisoner)
Red: 5

Round 5b (placements 19-20)

15			C16	20	B	19
	7	20	11			8
			18
14		7		3
4	4	15	3
								C16
			11				B	17
17	1		9	9	5	5	19	18

Yellow: 6 (1 Blue prisoner)
Blue: 8 (1 Black prisoner)
Black: 6 (1 Yellow prisoner)
Red: 4 (1 Blue prisoner)

The struggle leaves a Red tower and all players now have 1 prisoner each. Black would like to break away the Red tower from the black parts of the block and builds a Blue tower. The idea is to initiate a struggle that will remove adjacent Red and Blue tiles. Red decides to connect to the Blue tower and eliminate the threat. She will have to give up the large block below but instead connects to some more Red tiles to the left.

Round 6a (placements 21-23)

15			C16	20	19
	7	20	11
		23
14		7		3
4	4	15	3				A1
			23				21	C16
			11		22		21	17
17	A1		9	9	5	5	22	18

Yellow: 5 (1 Blue prisoner)
Blue: 7 (1 Black prisoner)
Black: 4 (1 Yellow prisoner)
Red: 5 (2 Blue prisoners)

Red wins the struggle with no losses but her block is split. Yellow takes the advantage to start a Yellow tower in the Yellow dominated lower block with a Yellow and a Black tile. Blue wants to join the party but first has to place a Red tile to connect a Blue tile to the block. A Black tower in the middle would be caught between two opponent towers so Black decides to connect them first, while also continuing to strengthen her central Black block.

Round 6b (placement 24)

15			18	20	19
	7		11
		23
14		7		3			24
	4	15	3					A21
			23					21
			11		22			22
17	A21		9	9		5		24

Yellow: 6 (1 Blue prisoner, 1 Red prisoner)
Blue: 7 (1 Black prisoner)
Black: 4 (1 Yellow prisoner)
Red: 8 (2 Blue prisoners)

Yellow not only wins the struggle but also keeps the tower, meaning that only the adjacent Red tiles are removed. This keeps her block almost intact and makes it difficult for a competing tower to become strong enough to challenge Yellow. Red decides to join the enemy by placing a Red tile in her tower, hoping to overtake it next round.

Round 7a (placement 25-27)

15			18	B20	19
	7		11		25
		23
14		7		3			24
	4	15	3					A21
			23	27		26	C	21		C
			11		22			22	B20	26
17	A21		9	9		5		24	25	27

Yellow: 5 (1 Blue prisoner, 1 Red prisoner)
Blue: 6 (1 Black prisoner)
Black: 1 (1 Yellow prisoner)
Red: 7 (2 Blue prisoners)

With only the top tile in the Yellow tower, Yellow starts a second tower to protect it. Blue chooses to build a third tower with a Black top tile to let Black take the struggle and hopefully remove a lot of adjacent Yellow and Black tiles afterwards. Black seizes to trigger a struggle that will end with a Black tower.

Round 7b (placement 28)

15			18	B20	19
	7		11		25
		23				28
14		7		3			24
	4	15	3
			23	27		26	27	A21	B20
			11		22			22	25
17	A21		9			5		24	28

Yellow: 6 (1 Blue prisoner, 1 Red prisoner, 1 Black prisoner)
Blue: 5 (1 Black prisoner)
Black: 1 (2 Yellow prisoners)
Red: 7 (2 Blue prisoners)

Yellow wins the struggle, gaining 1 Black prisoner, but her top tile is removed, losing the tower to Black. Also, since Black still controls a tower, only Yellow tiles are removed from the block where Black and Yellow tiles are adjacent. Red fears the Black block is too strong and add tiles to the Yellow tower instead.

Round 8 (placement 29-32)

15			18	B20	19
	7		11		25	32	32
		23				28		A21
14		7		3			24	22	B20
30	4	15	3					24	25
			23	27		26	27	30	28
			11		22			31	29
17	A21		9			5		31	29

Yellow: 5 (1 Blue prisoner, 1 Red prisoner, 1 Black prisoner)
Blue: 2 (1 Black prisoner)
Black: 1 (2 Yellow prisoners)
Red: 4 (2 Blue prisoners)

Yellow adds to her tower but dares not connecting it to the Black tower as a struggle would only result in Black taking over the Yellow tower. Blue is indecisive and adds to the Black tower but not too much. Black suddenly finds herself too high up in the towers to risk a struggle and tries to push the height closer to the victory condition instead. With no Black tiles left, the game may end next time it's Black's turn. Red finds no good tower positions and instead prepares a new tower area in the upper right corner to challenge whichever tower that will survive the imminent struggle.

Round 9a (placement 33-34)

15			18	B20	19
	7		11		25	32	32		B20
		23	34			28		A21	25
14		7		3			24	22	28
30	4	15	3					24	29
			23	27		26	27	30	29
			11		22			31	33
17	A21		9			5		31	33

Yellow: 4 (1 Blue prisoner, 1 Red prisoner, 1 Black prisoner)
Blue: 2 (1 Black prisoner)
Black: 0 (2 Yellow prisoners)
Red: 3 (2 Blue prisoners)

With no stake in the Black tower, Yellow can only extend her own tower and she does it with Black's last tile. If nothing happens, Black will start with no tiles and the game will end with the highest tower being Yellow. However, Blue steps in and connect the two towers, seeing that she can take over the Yellow tower.

Round 9b (placement 34-36)

15	35		18	B29
35	D7		11			C32	32
		23	34			28
14		7		3			24
30	4	15	3
			23	27		26	27	B29		D7
			11		22			33	C32	36
17	31		9			5		33	34	36

Yellow: 4 (1 Blue prisoner, 1 Red prisoner, 2 Black prisoners)
Blue: 3 (1 Black prisoner, 1 Yellow prisoner)
Black: 0 (2 Yellow prisoners)
Red: 5 (2 Blue prisoners)

Blue uses her 2nd tile to start a Blue tower in the now isolated block. If she can merge the blocks, the victory will be hers. The other players must stop this but they have only the small space in the upper left corner left. Black adds a Black and a Yellow tile, after which Red can start a Red tower. However, it can't grow higher than 3 tiles (3 tiles in the tower, 3 tiles in the block outside the tower), nor can the block expand further without getting connected to the larger blue block.

Round 10a (placement 37)

15	35		18	B29
35	D7	37	11			C32	32
		23	34			28
14		7		3			24
30	4	15	3
			23	27		26	27	B29		D7
			11		22			33	C32	36
17	31		9			5		33	34	36

Yellow: 4 (1 Blue prisoner, 1 Red prisoner, 2 Black prisoners)
Blue: 3 (1 Black prisoner, 1 Yellow prisoner)
Black: 0 (2 Yellow prisoners)
Red: 5 (2 Blue prisoners)

Yellow connects the two towers, knowing that she'll take over the winning tower.

Round 10b (placement 37-38)

15	35		18	B33
35	36	37	11		C32	32
					28
14		7		3		24
	4	15	3					C32
			23	27	26	27	B33	34
			11				33	38
17	31		9		5		37	38

Yellow: 3 (2 Blue prisoners, 1 Red prisoner, 2 Black prisoners)
Blue: 6 (1 Black prisoner, 1 Yellow prisoner, 1 Red prisoner)
Black: 0 (2 Yellow prisoners)
Red: 6 (2 Blue prisoners)

Yellow uses a Red tile to raise her tower higher than the Blue tower but it turns out to be too late. Blue uses a Black and a Red tile to raise her tower even higher, while also depleting the Black tile supply. With no Black tiles at the start of the Black turn, the game ends with Blue controlling the highest tower in Lucca!

The test game turned out to be a tense and swingy affair. Precise gameplay was necessary to prevent the game from being too chaotic but overall the rules are solid. Further tests will tell how different the 2 and 3 player versions play.