# Pyramid Arcade ## General Info - **Year Published**: 2016 - **BGG Rating**: 7.8 - **BGG Rank**: — - **Players**: 1-10 (Best with: 2) - **Duration**: 5-180 min - **Weight**: 2.31 / 5 - **Designers**: Andrew Looney, John Cooper, Kristin Looney - **Artists**: Eileen Tjan - **Publishers**: Looney Labs - **Categories**: Abstract Strategy, Animals, Dice, Game System, Science Fiction, Space Exploration - **Mechanics**: Area Majority / Influence, Betting and Bluffing, Cooperative Game, Dice Rolling, Modular Board, Pattern Building, Player Elimination, Push Your Luck, Rock-Paper-Scissors, Set Collection, Simultaneous Action Selection, Tile Placement ## Verdict Pyramid Arcade is the collection of 22 mini‑games that play on a modular board and pyramid-shaped pieces, the famous Looney Pyramids. Each pyramid can be small, medium, or large, and the three fit together like a puzzle, forming what fans call a "tree." The idea is that you can play with up to three trees of each color – giving 90 colorful pyramids in total – and that these objects transform into game pieces, cards, dice, or building tiles, depending on the title. The box includes the pyramids, nine dice, several boards, and a detailed rulebook that explains each of the 22 games, ranging from area control strategies to betting, from push‑your‑luck to cooperative play. The visual design is distinctly retro, with bright colors and a touch of humor, but the mechanics are serious: you need to decide who will control each region, when to bet, when to place a tile in the right spot, and when to risk everything to try to turn the tide. If you enjoy games that combine abstract strategy with luck mechanics and pattern building, Pyramid Arcade will surprise you. The challenge lies in knowing which of the 22 games fits best on your table and strategy – each has unique rules, but all use the same set of pieces, so you just pick which one you want to master. That’s why the experience feels like a "your own game library" – you can switch games each session, keeping novelty and fun high. The best part: you can play from 1 to 10 players, making this set great for large groups, families, or game nights where retro theme and modular board mechanics meet in one unique package. On the downside, the variety of rules can confuse those used to a single game, and the playtime can vary wildly, from 5 to 180 minutes, depending on the title chosen. But if you love to experiment, Pyramid Arcade is a treasure worth exploring! ## Description Pyramid Arcade is a collection of 22 mini‑games that play on a modular board and pyramid-shaped pieces, the famous Looney Pyramids. Each pyramid can be small, medium, or large, and the three fit together like a puzzle, forming what fans call a "tree." The idea is that you can play with up to three trees of each color – giving 90 colorful pyramids in total – and that these objects transform into game pieces, cards, dice, or building tiles, depending on the title. The box includes the pyramids, nine dice, several boards, and a detailed rulebook that explains each of the 22 games, ranging from area control strategies to betting, from push‑your‑luck to cooperative play. The visual design is distinctly retro, with bright colors and a touch of humor, but the mechanics are serious: you need to decide who will control each region, when to bet, when to place a tile in the right spot, and when to risk everything to try to turn the tide. If you enjoy games that combine abstract strategy with luck mechanics and pattern building, Pyramid Arcade will surprise you. The challenge lies in knowing which of the 22 games fits best on your table and strategy – each has unique rules, but all use the same set of pieces, so you just pick which one you want to master. That’s why the experience feels like a "your own game library" – you can switch games each session, keeping novelty and fun high. The best part: you can play from 1 to 10 players, making this set great for large groups, families, or game nights where retro theme and modular board mechanics meet in one unique package. On the downside, the variety of rules can confuse those used to a single game, and the playtime can vary wildly, from 5 to 180 minutes, depending on the title chosen. But if you love to experiment, Pyramid Arcade is a treasure worth exploring! ## How to Play Objective of the Game In Martian Whist, players are trying to score the most points by building as many solid color Trees as possible from the pyramids won in tricks. The game is a minimal luck pyramid drafting and Tree-based trick-taking game. Preparation (Setup) Place all of the Trios (two Trios each of every color on the Color Die) into an opaque sack (the purple Pyramid Arcade bag). Draw from the sack one small, one medium, and one large pyramid to make a Tree. Continue this until all of the pyramids have been used to make a row of 10 Trees. At this point, trump may be determined by rolling the Color Die. If the atomic symbol is rolled, there will be no trump. The player who most recently played a card game goes first. Fluxo do Jogo Martian Whist is played in two rounds: STAGE ONE: DRAFTING TREES This stage is meant to build a mixed stash of pyramids via drafting. There are two ways to draft pyramids, and players should agree on which method to use: Method #1: Drafting whole Trees: Players take turns taking whole Trees from those available. Players will receive five Trees each. Method #2: Drafting Tree layers: Players take turns taking single pyramids from the highest layer still containing pyramids, or may pass choosing any single pyramid in a layer as long as two or more still remain on that layer. If a player passes on a choice, then the other player chooses which pyramid to give them. The player who passes last on a layer gets to go first on the next layer. Again, players will receive five Trees each. STAGE TWO: PLAYING TRICKS Using the pyramids in their drafted stashes, the players will play tricks to build a final scoring set. Starting with the person who drafted last, a player will present a Tree and the other will follow with one of their own. These Trees can be built from any of the pyramids in their personal stash. The following player must present a Tree containing at least one pyramid of the same color as any of the pyramids in the leading Tree if they are able. If they do not have a color to follow the Tree led, then they can follow with a Tree containing any colors that they choose. The player winning the trick will reserve their Tree for final scoring, while the losing Tree will be discarded. The player who won the trick leads the next trick. Play will continue like this until all of the players' pyramids have been used, after which final scoring will begin. Ações e Como Jogar Resolving Tricks To resolve tricks, the color of the pyramids used determines the higher-ranking Tree. The ranking of the pyramid colors is: Trump > Purple > Red > Yellow > Green > Blue Solid color trees will resolve according to the color rankings or trump. Trees of a single color will always beat Trees of mixed colors, even those containing trumps. Trees of mixed colors will resolve from bottom to top according to color. That is, players compare the base of the Trees first. Then the middle of the Tree is compared. Finally, the top of the Tree is compared. The player who won the majority of the Tree segments wins the trick. If the two Trees played are identical or they result in a tie segment score, then the player who placed first wins the trick. Fim de Jogo e Pontuação How to Win When all of the Trees have been played to tricks, then the player with the highest score wins. Scoring From the pyramids won in tricks, the players can rearrange the colors to form as many solid Trees as possible. Solid Trees are worth 3 points each. The remaining mixed Trees are worth 1 point each. The player with the most valuable set of Trees wins the game. Dicas para Vencer Consulte o manual para detalhes sobre esta seção. ## FAQ ### How long does a typical Pyramid Arcade game last? Playtime varies widely: from 5 minutes in quick games like "Black Ice" up to 180 minutes in longer titles such as "World War 5". Most games sit between 15 and 60 minutes. ### How many players can I play with? You can play from 1 to 10 players, making it great for both small and large groups, depending on the chosen game. ### What’s the complexity level? Complexity ranges from simple and fast (e.g., "Lunar Invaders") to more strategic and demanding (like "Petri Dish" or "Pharaoh Pyramid"). It depends on the title. ### What components do I need? The box includes 90 Looney Pyramids (10 colors, 3 sizes), 9 dice, several modular boards, and a rulebook explaining each game. ### Does Pyramid Arcade work well for cooperative play? Yes, some titles, such as "Petri Dish", are cooperative, letting you play against the game instead of other players. ### Do I need prior board‑game experience to use Pyramid Arcade? No, most games have simple rules, though some, like "IceTowers", require a bit more strategy. ### Is there a risk of rule confusion? With 22 different games, it can take time to learn each, but the manual explains everything clearly. ## Price Comparison ### Best International Offers - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 119.25 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=5822000&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - See all on BoardGamePrices: https://boardgameprices.com/item/show/18259/pyramid-arcade?utm_source=boardgamesbot.com