Pharaoh's Pyramid Mathematical Board Game

For a long time I have been tampering with the thought of making a mathematical board game for kids. Finally came up with something which I can say that I am proud of.

Here is a "Pharaoh's Pyramid" mathematical board game that can be used to train the young minds of kids to do summation in the mind.

I have played it for quite a long time to remove any errors that can occur.

So here are the steps to making one and also how to play the game.

If interested, keep reading.

Step 1: Components Required

We will require (this is just to make a basic one. You can make one with more complex parts such as acrylic or plywood etc.

Hard paper

Paint + brush or pen

Cutter/scissor

Ruler

that's all.

So lets make it.

Step 2: Basic Parts

Cut the hard paper to make an equilateral triangle. Make sure it is just big enough to draw digits but not too big to make it cumbersome to play. Please see the board to get an idea of the size.

Cut another hard paper to make another shape exactly double the size of the triangle. just that this shape will be a rhombus.

We will require 10 pieces of the triangle and 45 pieces of rhombus.

Step 3: Draw the Digits

Now as per the images mark the digits onto the board.

Make 10 triangles

2 triangles of digit 1

2 triangles of digit 2

2 triangles of digit 3

2 triangles of digit 4

2 triangles of digit 5

Mark the rhombus

1 rhombus with 0 and 0

1 rhombus with 0 and 1

2 rhombus with 0 and 2

2 rhombus with 0 and 3

2 rhombus with 0 and 4

2 rhombus with 0 and 5

1 rhombus with 0 and 6

1 rhombus with 0 and 7

1 rhombus with 0 and 8

1 rhombus with 0 and 9

1 rhombus with 0 and 10

1 rhombus with 1 and 1

1 rhombus with 1 and 6

1 rhombus with 1 and 7

1 rhombus with 1 and 8

1 rhombus with 1 and 9

1 rhombus with 1 and 10

1 rhombus with 2 and 2

1 rhombus with 2 and 6

1 rhombus with 2 and 7

1 rhombus with 2 and 8

1 rhombus with 2 and 9

1 rhombus with 2 and 10

1 rhombus with 3 and 3

1 rhombus with 3 and 6

1 rhombus with 3 and 7

1 rhombus with 3 and 8

1 rhombus with 3 and 9

1 rhombus with 3 and 10

1 rhombus with 4 and 4

1 rhombus with 4 and 6

1 rhombus with 4 and 7

1 rhombus with 4 and 8

1 rhombus with 4 and 9

1 rhombus with 4 and 10

1 rhombus with 5 and 5

1 rhombus with 5 and 6

1 rhombus with 5 and 7

1 rhombus with 5 and 8

1 rhombus with 5 and 9

1 rhombus with 5 and 10

These are the exact number of pieces I came up with. The counts may require change.

Make sure both the numbers are flipped so for the game to work. You can also make some indents (such as underline) for 6 and 9 to remove any confusion.

Step 4: Draw the Board

Draw the board with 9 triangles in the bottom and placing the rhombuses to create a triangle.

Step 5: Pieces Names

We will call the triangle pieces as foundation bricks and the rhombuses as upper bricks.

Step 6: How to Play

Now you are all set to play.

What are the rules?

1. This is a 2 player game

2. All bricks are places face down besides the board. This is called the quarry.

3. Each player takes up 5 foundation bricks from the quarry.

4. Each player takes 7 upper bricks to start with.

5. Player can see their own bricks.

6. Each player plays as to put one brick (foundation/upper) on the board.

7. Foundation bricks are played first till any 2 are adjacent.

8. Any upper brick that is played should have adjacent 2 bricks (foundation/upper) filled on the below row.

9. If any user do not have any matching brick to play then he/she draws one brick from the quarry and misses that chance.

In the images you can see that as soon as 2 foundation bricks are adjacent the next player plays his upper brick.

2+1=3 can be played

1+5=6 can be played

10+4=14 1+4=5 can be played

How to win:

Rare win: If the pyramid is formed perfectly the last brick on the top will be 0 0. This rarely happens. The player who places the 0 0 brick wins. (happened to me twice)

Regular win: If no brick can be placed as per the summation and the quarry is also empty. Then the bricks are flipped over and counted. The digits are summed. The player who has the lowest sum wins.

Step 7: Finally the Board

Here are 2 formats of boards that I designed. You can print the monochrome one and paint as you like.

So! Try it and let me know how you like it. Feel free to criticize in the comment section below. Of course there is room for improvement as this is my first board game.

Step 8: Finally

Here is the board and pieces that I made from scratch.

Comments

[mrsmerwin]

I just made my pieces but have yet to make the board to play on. I typed up a set of printable pieces so I can make dozens of sets. I followed another instructable and mounted those pieces on a sticky backed floor tile. My problem--in your instructions you said 46 rhombus pieces. I have counted several times--I only have 45 pieces and your illustrated directions only show the 45 I have. Am I missing a piece or did you mistype something?

[artworker]

It's 45 pieces! My mistake. Thanks for pointing that out.

[mrsmerwin]

I am glad. I have to learn the game now so I can teach it to the kids who will be helping me. We are starting a S.T.E.A.M. club at one of the local elementary schools. I am still looking for more math games if you know of any.

[spoonietreasures]

This would be great for a Math Club. A second page with the pieces laid out side by side would make it easy to just print and cut. Maybe a 2-3 page pdf?

[artworker]

Thanks! Will do that ASAP!

[spoonietreasures]

Choose a font with a round 6 and a straight 9, ie. D'nealian.

[spoonietreasures]

Wondering for advanced players: the 2 bricks below could be multiplied, then the digits added.

Even more advanced would allow the players to choose add, subtract, multiply, divide even exponents, (then add the digits) to come up with a brick to be played. I'd even have them say their equation out loud.

[jenise2000]

Digital root @Diaphane

[artworker]

Thanks for the exact nomenclature. Appreciated!

[Diaphane]

Thank you. I think I get it now :-)

[Diaphane]

Wow, this is great, I love it! I do private math lessons for kids and I always need new games to make learning more fun for them. This is perfect for me!

I have some questions about the rules: Every player gets 5 foundations but there are only 9 triangles at the bottom. That means one foundation remains at the end, is that right?

What is the meaning of 5+7=12=1+2=3? I don't understand that.

[artworker]

I guess I made a mistake in the image. The text should be like

5+7=12 1+2=3

Intention is to sum the individual digits if the arrived number is grater than 10.