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Waterways

Build a pond where the streams line up

Who is playing?

  • Mallard
Computer:

Everyone gets the same 19 tiles, one at a time, and places each on their own pond. A straight line of tiles that all carry the same number in its direction scores that number for every tile in it. Play alone for a high score, or against others.

Not in the same room? Play online while you talk on a call, each on your own phone.

More info

How to play

  • Your pond is a hexagon of 19 spaces. Each tile has three streams crossing it, one in each direction, each with a number: 1, 5 or 9 top to bottom; 2, 6 or 7 one diagonal; 3, 4 or 8 the other.
  • There are 27 different tiles and 19 of them are drawn, one at a time. Everyone places the same tile on their own pond, anywhere they like. Once placed, a tile stays put.
  • At the end, every straight line of tiles (5 each way, 3 to 5 tiles long) where all the streams in its direction have the same number scores that number times the number of tiles in the line.
  • The marks around your pond show each line: a coloured number while it can still score, its points once it does, and × once it can’t.
  • The highest pond wins. On your own, try to beat your best.

Tips

Only 19 of the 27 tiles turn up, so a line that needs a lot of one number can stall. Long middle lines are worth the most; the short edge lines are easier to finish. Some players give up on one direction entirely to make the other two cleaner.