Board game challenge - Candyland

[QuikSand]

The challenge is pretty simple.

Let's use only stuff that comes in the box when you buy Candyland, and create some rules or structure that coverts it from a game of compete chance into one that actually rewards strategy in some appropriate way, to make the game interesting for an older audience.

[Grover]

http://img1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20130125195820/villains/images/6/6f/Calvin_Candie.jpg

Candieland?

[Grover]

But seriously... the game only comes with the board, four characters and the spinner, right? I don't remember there being any cards or anything.

[henry296]

Candyland has cards. Shutes and ladders is a spinner.

[QuikSand]

The main game apparatus are cards with either one or two squares of a given color. In the game you draw a random card and then move ahead to the first or second square of that color. Game is deliberately designed for kids who can't yet read our count.

[Warhammer]

This is simple.

Each player gets a hand of two cards at the start of the game. On his turn, a player:

1) Draws a card
2a) Plays a card and moves to the appropriate space (if two of a color are shown, he advances to the second space of that color).
-or-
2b) Plays a card and moves another player to the appropriate space, behind that player's token.

The game is won when a player reaches the end of the path, but playing the appropriate color card.

[RainRaven]

The new candyland boxes actually don't have cards, only a spinner. I was greatly disappointed to see a little peice of childhood changed.

[Grover]

The new candyland boxes actually don't have cards, only a spinner. I was greatly disappointed to see a little peice of childhood changed.

Ok, so I was partially right. I was looking at pictures of the game contents online and saw zero cards.

[Easy Mac]

Weird, the one we got last year has cards, must have gotten in under the buzzer

[DanGarion]

1. Light a fire.
2. Place guesses on how long it will take for fire to completely engulf game.
3. Place game box in fire and start clock.
4. Hilarity ensues.
5. Crown winner.

[Lathum]

Everytime my kid cheats, intentionally or not, take a drink.

Wait, thats how I play now...

[flere-imsaho]

This is simple.

Each player gets a hand of two cards at the start of the game. On his turn, a player:

1) Draws a card
2a) Plays a card and moves to the appropriate space (if two of a color are shown, he advances to the second space of that color).
-or-
2b) Plays a card and moves another player to the appropriate space, behind that player's token.

The game is won when a player reaches the end of the path, but playing the appropriate color card.

To this add that the movement of the token (either 2a or 2b) is conditional on the player being able to name a candy that contains the color in question. A record of answers is kept so that answers may not be repeated.

[Easy Mac]

Shuffle deck.

Lay out 1/2 the deck, face up. (2 people, all but 4 cards for 4 people)

From the rest of the cards, draw a random card and whoever gets the card that would take them the farthest initially goes first and so on...

People take turns picking from the face up cards to get to the end the fastest. First person to finish wins. If the deck runs out first, the person farthest along wins.

May need to tweak the number of starting cards to find a good number to make the game somewhat fair.

Maybe even make a rule that allows a player to give his opponent a candy card, so that if the opponent is far ahead, the person playing can give a candy card further back on the board to his opponent, but the player that gives the card loses 2 turns. It would make playing the farthest candy card a risk early, since someone could bump you back to the beginning at any time.

[albionmoonlight]

Game for 3 or 4 players.

Deal a certain number of cards to each player (not sure how many makes sense).

Goal is to be the last player to reach the end.

Each round, players put two cards face-down in front of them.

Cards are then revealed. Whoever puts down a set of cards that would move them forward the least (the order in which you put down your cards matters) has to play those cards and go forward. No other player has to move. Ties for the least spaces mean all tied players move.

When someone reaches the end, they are out of the game. The player next closest to losing gets their hand and gets to play with a large hand for the rest of the game.

Still trying to figure out a way to incorporate the special cards that does not interject too much randomness into the game.

[lighthousekeeper]

2-4 player game

1. Deck is shuffled
2. Each player is dealt 5 cards
3. Players do not reveal their hand
3. Remaining deck is placed face-down, top card is overturned.
4. On their turn, players choose 1 card from top of deck or the overturned card, then discard 1 card from their hand.
5. When a player has amassed 5 of same color, they yell out "SUGAR RUSH™!!" and get to jump ahead 5 of that color. (Double color cards count as 2; special picture cards can count as a single-value wildcards if they prefer)
6. When a player has declared a SUGAR RUSH™, an opposing player can choose to shout out "INSULIN INJECTION™!!" and play a picture card (if they have one) which limits the SUGAR RUSH™ to a jump ahead of only one color instead of 5.
7. First player to finish wins.

[ColtCrazy]

One player is the King of Candyland, a ruthless tyranny bent on dominating the candy market. Three adventures have come to Candyland. One is an assassin, to be determined by the 3 in secret. The 3 other players are dealt a single card, face down. They may look at it.

Play: All 4 people are dealt 3 cards for their hand.
The 3 adventurers will:
1. Use one card to move ANY of the 3 players. After the initial discussion of who will be the assassin, there is no kibitzing.
2. Replace card.

The King will:
1. Use one card to move 1 player back OR
2. Use one card to attempt to match the hidden card for one player.

If the king matches the hidden card of a player, that player is eliminated. However, the King can only do this once for each player. Choose wisely!

The game progresses through two deck shuffles.

The King wins if he kills the assassin or the assassin fails to reach him by the end of the game.

The players win if the assassin reaches the King.

[Toddzilla]

Advanced Candyland | Eugene Fischer (http://www.eugenefischer.com/2009/06/07/advanced-candyland/)

[Toddzilla]

I think the dynamic of having 3-5 cards in your hand is a universal idea. To that end:

(1) Every player gets 3 cards
(2) You can play cards to move your pawn forward or an opponent's pawn backwards
(3) If you have multiple cards of the same color, you can play them at the same time, e.g. if you have 3 cards with a green square, you play all three, move forward 3 greens.
(4) You can only play a single card against an opponent
(5) Draw cards at the end of your turn to get back to 3 cards

[Shkspr]

1) Draw and turn face up three pairs of two cards. (Four sets if three players.)
2) First player selects one of the pairs of cards and moves his piece forward the amount indicated on the card of his choice, and the player to his right forward the amount on the second card.
3) Play proceeds to the left, with the next player choosing one of the remaining pairs, and moving her piece forward the amount indicated on the card of her choice, and the previous player forward the amount on the other card.
4) When all face up pairs have been selected and played, deal a similar number of face up pairs again, and play continues to the left.

Basically, the randomness is minimized as all cards are selected from a face-up grouping, but each move forward by a player is matched by moving one of their opponents forward as well, the strategy being to figure out how best to maximize the delta between your progress and your opponent's. Each round is staggered so that each player gets a turn in first position.

Alternate: Remove character cards. Draw three cards face up. Player chooses one card to play, moving their piece forward that many spaces and the opponent to their right forward the number of spaces of the color complementary to the card. Remaining two cards are discarded, and play continues to the left.

[QuikSand]

Thank you to those who rescued this thread.

[Poli]

Everytime my kid cheats, intentionally or not, take a drink.

Wait, thats how I play now...

HAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAA