Meet Your New Favorite Brain Game, SlideAscope!
Whoever said brain games can't be party games has yet to play SlideAscope! SlideAscope is SimplyFun's latest tile-matching game that challenges players to make strategic matches, triggering chain reactions. As the tiles slide, rotate and are removed, more matching opportunities are revealed. Use strategy and spatial reasoning to collect as many as you can for points!
At first glance, SlideAscope's game mechanics might remind you of popular brain game apps such as Tetris and Candy Crush, but in board game form. However, this quirky tile game has its own creative spin that incorporates strategy, spatial reasoning, and critical thinking. Moreover, SlideAscope offers players a much-needed break from digital devices, whether as a one-player tabletop game or a group game with up to 5 friends. One thing is certain: This colorful brain game not only boosts cognitive function but also supplies limitless amounts of fun for children and adults ages 8 and up! Play with 1-5 players in as little as 20 minutes.
How the Brain Game, SlideAscope was Created
SlideAscope, formerly known as Chain Reaction, was created by Dr. Reiner Knizia, a world-renowned game designer. After SimplyFun licensed Chain Reaction from Reiner, our in-house artwork designer, Brian Kolodziejski played around with what is now known as SlideAscope to explore the best geometric shapes, colors, and materials for the game. Brian also added an unexpected strategy 'twist' to gameplay where players can rotate one tile per turn to make a match in exchange for one of their lower point tiles.
SlideAscope Draws Inspiration from the Past
The design concept was inspired by the kaleidoscope, a scientific tube that was invented by Sir David Brewster in 1816 and is now known as a retro toy. This rotating tube with a viewfinder reveals colorful pieces and mirrors, which rotate to create endless symmetrical patterns with interchangeable shapes. SimplyFun was inspired to create a tabletop game that was as visually mesmerizing and innovative as the kaleidoscope to create a strategy and spatial reasoning game where players slide and rotate tiles to make geometrical matches.
How to Play Brain Game, SlideAscope
In SlideAscope, your goal is to match at least one side of the tile you place to one tile already in the playing field, in order to earn points. Whenever you match and collect tiles, the remaining tiles above will slide down, potentially creating more matches and earning you additional points. At the end of the game, the player with the highest score wins!
Setting up the Game
1. Assemble the four puzzle pieces of the frame by matching the printed shapes at each connection point. Place the frame in the middle of the play area.
2. Mix up the tiles in the storage bag.
3. To go first, draw two tiles, add the numbers, and compare sums. The player with the highest number goes first. Hand the starting token to the winner and put all tiles back. In case of a tie, draw again.
4. Randomly pull tiles to create a 5 x 8 grid of 40 tiles inside the frame. Keep the numbers facing in all possible directions and don't worry about matching shapes. The grid will be different each time you play.
5. With the remaining tiles, create several face-down draw piles where everyone can reach. Place the storage bag back in the box. Each player draws one tile from a draw pile and keeps it hidden from the other players.
Shapes and Tiles
There are six color shapes, each split in half and in different combinations on the sides of the tiles. In the center, each tile has a number, 1 through 4, used for scoring at the end of the game. Your goal is to match two identical halves of a shape to create a whole shape when the sides of two tiles touch. Then, leaving the tile you just placed, collect the touching matched tile, earning you the number of points on that tile.
Note: Tiles always slide from the top of the frame toward the bottom. All players begin their turn at the very top of the frame.
Placing Tiles to Start Gameplay
On your turn, look at your tile and the ones in the playing field to see what matches you can make. You may rotate the tile in your hand to help you visualize all the options. Once you have decided, place your tile at the very top of the column you are playing and make your match above one of the five columns. After you have placed your active tile, collect the newly matched tile and set it aside for points later.
Your active playing tile will slide down and may or may not present more matching opportunities during your turn. Look to the left and right of the tiles touching your active tile. If you find a match, collect it and the tile will slide down once more. This process continues until no more matches can be made in a turn.
*Tip: Can't find a match during your turn? Show it to the other players and place your tile at the bottom of the draw stack. Draw a new tile and continue your turn by placing it in the playing field.
Rotating a Tile to Make a Match
After your second turn, you can choose to rotate the tile you've placed to create additional matches. Simply discard a lower point tile you have earned and rotate your tile once to any new orientation within the same space. Collect any matches and slide any tiles above to fill in the space. You may only discard and rotate once per turn.
Rotating tiles can be helpful if it sets you up for future matches down the grid. Example: A rotation might earn you a 4-point tile which would be worth exchanging for a lower point you have already earned.
How the Game Ends
SlideAscope ends when all tiles in one or more columns are removed. If the starting player initiates this, the game continues to allow the remaining players to complete their turn in that round. This ensures that everyone gets an equal number of turns before the game concludes for equal turns.
Tallying up the Points to Reveal the Winner
After all players have had their final turn, add up your tile points. Organize your tiles into point groups to make scoring easier (stack of 1, 2, 3 & 4 point tiles, etc). The player with the highest score wins! If there is a tie, count the number of tiles. The tied player with the most tiles wins. If there is still a tie, the player with the most number 4 tiles wins.
Play it as a Group Game or One-Player Game
SlideAscope is a healthy screen-free alternative to app games that players can enjoy playing solo to challenge themselves and strive to beat their own scores with each game! Whether playing SlideAscope as a one-player game or with a group of 5 players, you'll find SlideAscope irresistibly fun while boosting cognitive function!
Why SlideAscope Will Be Your NEW Favorite Brain-Game-Meets-Party-Game!
SlideAscope has all the makings of a popular party game: easy to learn, visually pleasing, and uber FUN! The best part? It has excellent replayability, so you can enjoy it for years to come! Not to mention, you can almost feel the happy synapsis of neurons as your brain scans the grid for the best matches that yield the highest points. Find a match on the top of the grid? Just make sure it's the best match that will set off a chain reaction of future points.
Tile Sizes
It's a tactile delight! The tile sizes feel substantial and glossy, and there is something so satisfyingly tactile about sliding them as they clank around the grid.
Rotate a Tile for Strategy
Choose to rotate a tile to make a match in exchange for one of your earned 1-point tiles! Why is this helpful? Well, if a potential match is worth 3 points and sets you up for future matches down the grid, that will be worth more than the 1-point tile.
SlideAscope is a FUN Brain Game!
SlideAscope helps players sharpen their cognitive function skills as they play their way down the grid using spatial reasoning to strengthen focus and mental agility! This makes SlideAscope an excellent brain game for developing brains and aging brains alike!
If You are a Reiner Knizia Fan, You'll Love SlideAscope
Award-winning game designer, Reiner Knizia was the original designer of SlideAscope. Knizia is known for this creative approach to tabletop games that makes strategy and learning a fun adventure for players of all ages. SimplyFun has been fortunate to have licensed a full curation of award-winning games by Knizia which can be found here. We recently sat down with Reiner Knizia to ask him about his process in game design and how SlideAscope came to life. Check out the blog post here: Meet Dr. Reiner Knizia
Now it's your turn...give your brain a flex with SlideAscope! Play it as a one-player brain teaser game, or get a few friends together and host a game night that everyone will want to turn into a rematch! You will love the game's colorful and cheerful appearance, as well as its easy-to-follow instructions, making it perfect for parties, family game night, or solo play. Ready to find your match? Game on!
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