Vectors Car Race

Here's a very simple game that was a favorite of mine growing up. Unfortunately there's a bit of maths involved, which i love, but sometimes it makes it hard to find other players :/. So find a couple of your most geeky friends and read on.

The first one to complete the track without falling off wins. The game uses simple vectors to speed up and slow down your race-car, go too fast and you'll fall off the edge of the track.

Supplies

1/8 # grid-paper

2 - 4 players

Step 1: Draw the Race Track

On your piece of paper draw a race track, make it quite wide, maybe 5 or 6 blocks, and try to keep a steady width.

Alternatively you can draw curves and straights in Paintbrush to assemble your track and print it off on some gridpaper like i did above.

Put in a few long straights to encourage players to speed up. Also throw in some sharp bends to increase the danger of falling off.

Step 2: Rules of the Game.

Each player makes one move per turn.

The cars start off with 0,0 speed. That is your speed along both vertical and horizontal blocks is 0.

In each move you can increase, decrease or maintain your speed along both axis.

You may only increase or decrease your speed by one count. Negative numbers simply mean opposite direction.

In the example above the car starts off with speed 0,0.

You may keep your speed at 0,0 or you could increase your speed in either/both directions by one count. This becomes your new speed for your next move, which again you can choose to maintain or change by one count in any direction.

Another way of thinking about is, repeat your previous move, that becomes the center of the 3 by 3 green grid.

You may land in the black square, (maintain current speed), or you may move to any of the surrounding green dots (change speed by one count)

In the example above you can see the effect of incrementing your speed along one direction, the green grid moves further and further from your car, meaning your're going faster, but be careful! If your grid falls outside the track it means you've crashed and lost the game!

Comments

[PetrH48]

Maybe, 30 years old concept, what we played in school. When we are "crashed" we be able return before point of escape, following rules of slow down and turn. Every player has different color of pencil. Collision has penalty one turn hold possition.

[mcgurkryan]

I like all these variations to the game I hadn't seen them before :)

[DeepUnique369]

Ohh, I remember playing this one in elementary school.
I made it with turbo, extra break, teleport pickups, etc. Was so nice,
that not so long time ago I wanted to make it on the mobile/digital game, but find out
on youtube, someone already made it and didn't get good feedback :/
I guess teenagers are much different than we were ~20 years ago :D

[mcgurkryan]

I like the idea of the portals, is it a bit like snake-n-ladders where the portal could take you either forwards or backwards? Turbo is cool too :). I hosted this game on a server for a short while but took it down because literally no one used it haha, not even my friends :/

[WeTeachThemSTEM]

Interesting game concept. I love that the players have to use mathematical thinking for each move.

[mcgurkryan]

It's a game that's been around for a long time, but I guess the 'maths' deters many people from playing what is really a very fun game.