A game of 1,000 steps begins and ends with just one gem!
An original two-player game of strategic placement using luck of the draw and tactics ~ for all the ages.
Components: game board, bag, rules/instructions, 1 amethyst-purple gem, 1 diamond-white gem, 1 emerald-green gem, 1 ruby-red gem, 33 sapphire-blue gems, 33 topaz-yellow gems.
Object: accumulate points by placing gems of the same color on four adjacent spaces to form squares. Placement of gems on four spaces forming a square scores 4 points.
Point-scoring squares may be built on by adding gems of the same color to complete another square scoring 4 more points. 2, 3 or 4 squares may be completed at one time for scores of 8, 12, or 16 points.
The gem being played effects only the gem(s) immediately adjacent to it.
Players win points only with their own-color gems… even when one is placed by the opponent completing their square(s). Points are always accrued, never deducted.
Set aside 1 sapphire-blue gem
and 1 topaz-yellow gem
for score-keepers. Upon scoring points, players declare the completed square(s), keeping score on the score-ladder on their side of the board with the extra gem of their color. After 60 points, adding to and continuing from 4.
Start the game with the gems in the bag... players choose their color by drawing gems. The first to draw topaz-yellow is represented by that gem throughout the game and places it on any space on the empty board. Return other gems, if any, to the bag. The opponent, represented by sapphire-blue, plays next. Players then take turns drawing gems one at a time, placing topaz or sapphire gems on the empty spaces, building and/or blocking point-winning squares. Play every gem as it is drawn, even the opponent’s gems.
4 Exceptions:
Amethyst-purple: set the amethyst gem aside then, draw and play 2 gems one at a time... but, miss the second turn if the first gem drawn is ruby-red.
Diamond-white: remove any gem from the board and return it to the bag.
Emerald-green: move any gem one space diagonally to an empty space.
Ruby-red: miss this turn.
Always return Exception gems to the bag upon completion of a turn.
A gem may not be moved once released, other than Emerald-green and Diamond-white Exceptions. Overlooked points not marked when scored, are forfeited. The game is over when all the spaces are covered and only the 4 Exception gems remain in the bag.
The player who scores the most points is the winner.
Game in play, the sapphire-blue gem player has scored 4 points...
Win or lose, the game’s in the bag!
Mozaic may be the only game in town that allows players to place, move and remove the opponent's pieces in addition to their own. The game may be won with the very last piece placed and, depending on the last piece drawn and by whom, the opponent may even win the game for you.
If Mozaic hands you lemons - aka the "Oh no!" factor, that's the time to make lemonade... drawing an opponent's piece is not necessarily bad, it all depends on where you place it on the board.
