Triad

"Triad is a two-phase abstract strategy game. The game played on an 8x8 grid with the middle four spaces unavailable for play, leaving 60 playable spaces. Of the 60 spaces, 40 are labeled "3" and the remaining 20 are labeled "6", values which only apply during Phase 2. Each player or team has 30 pyramid pieces available to play. Play consists of two phases with an option of playing only one phase for children. In Phase 1, players alternate turns and attempt to make as many triads as possible, scoring three points for each turn in which one or more Triads are made. A placement which results in multiple Triads being formed still only scores three points. Triads consist of three playing pieces in a row in any direction - diagonally or orthogonally, including a stack. Playing pieces may not be stacked more than three high. Score is kept in real time via a scoring track and moving plastic marker along the edge of the board. In Phase 2, Triads are removed. If the removal of a Triad reveals numbers on the board, those numbers - three or six - are added to the player's score. If a Triad stack is removed, the single revealed number is doubled. If a player has a Triad available to him to remove, he must remove it, even though it's to his strategic disadvantage. If he cannot remove one, the other player or team plays until he has an available move or both players have no Triads that can be removed. Keeping track of number placement when laying Triads is strategically wise. "