Cage the Gnome

[Spoonweaver]

Hello!
I have recently been looking to develop a board game styled video game of sorts and ended up boiling the game down to something that can be played with a piece of paper.
After a few rounds of play testing the rules have changed a bit and I'd like as much feedback as I can get before I potentially start the process of turning this into a video game.
As such, I have attached the game in printable form and welcome any and all feedback.

[TMC]

Intriguing!
The rules are so simple that I feel like this game already exists.

Can you move your gnome through the other players, or even put on the same square? I think you probably shouldn't be able to do either. Otherwise one player can always force the game to end in a draw by keeping their gnome on top of the other player's. Plus placing your gnome to trap the other provides a lot more tactical considerations.

[Spoonweaver]

If the game exists I have not seen it, but it's very possible.
I will add a note that you can't move on top of the other player to the next version.
When I play tested this it was with actual gnome figurines so the idea of stacking them never crossed anyone's mind.

[Mogri]

What happens if your gnome is trapped with the other gnome or if both gnomes otherwise become trapped simultaneously?

The rules currently say "the player who traps the other player's gnome," so a strict reading says that trapping your own gnome is not a loss condition, which I doubt is intended.

[Spoonweaver]

What happens if your gnome is trapped with the other gnome or if both gnomes otherwise become trapped simultaneously?

The rules currently say "the player who traps the other player's gnome," so a strict reading says that trapping your own gnome is not a loss condition, which I doubt is intended.

Well first, yes there can be ties. However, I will add a rewording tot he rules in the next version to reflect your suggestion. Thank you for the feedback!

[Bob the Hamster]

I vaguely remember playing a game that superficially resembled this with my Mom and sister when I was a kid. It has a grid of dots, and players took turns drawing lines, but I don't think we had any tokens. I think when somebody completed a box they claimed it by drawing their initial inside it, and we were trying to get them out boxes... But I don't remember any other details


I wonder how this would play with more than 2 players? 3? 4? 100?

[Bluefeather42]

I think I played an edutainment game at school in the 90s where you tried to trap dinosaurs by drawing lines around them. I can't for the life of me remember what it was - it was one of those "minigame games", and I keep wanting to say Dinopark Tycoon but that can't be it.

EDIT: Now that I think about it, the way you trap the opponent's gnome is similar to how the King is captured in Hnefetafl.

[Spoonweaver]

Yes, the box drawing game is a bit of an inspiration and starting point for the game.
If there is a game where you move tokens around and trap them I'd love to know more. I've searched and turned up nothing.
Hnefetafl is an interesting comparison. It does have similarities.

There's a problem with more than 2 players. Anything above 3 players and it's too easy to gang up on 1 player, making it a bit of a mean spirited game to play really. I think it needs to stay 2 players, otherwise I think there would need to be a series of additional rules for additional players. Something like, player 1 draws a line and then everyone moves, player 2 draws a line, everyone moves, player 3 draws a line, and so on.