How to play
The pond has 16 lily pads for each player, in a new shape every game. Everyone starts with one stack of 16 ducklings. In turn, put your stack on an empty pad at the edge of the pond.
Then, on your turn, pick one of your stacks with at least two ducklings and split it: some stay, the rest swim off in a straight line, in any of the six directions. They keep swimming until the next pad is taken or there is no next pad, and they must move at least one pad. Every pad with your ducklings on it stays yours.
The end
If you can’t split any stack, you’re out of moves and the others carry on. When nobody can move, whoever holds the most pads wins. A tie goes to the player with the bigger group of joined pads.
Tips
A stack that gets boxed in is wasted, however big it is. Send large groups toward open water and leave single ducklings to hold the spots that are already safe. Swimming right across the pond can cut a rival’s area in half.