Boardless Quarto
Here is a boardless variant of the game Quarto.
You might already know Quarto, you might even own the game. If not, you can find descriptions, rules and reviews en masse on the internet.
Wouldnt it be nice if you could bring just the pieces with you, and play wherever there is a horizontal surface? Well, this variant lets you do just that.
Rules
Each piece has four attributes. No two pieces are the same. All combinations of the four attributes are found on the 16 pieces.
The goal in Quarto is to make a winner-row. That is a row with four pieces vertically, horizontally or diagonally, that all have one attribute in common.
If it is the first game, the tallest player starts. Otherwise its the one that didnt start last time.
- Draw two pieces randomly. Place them on the table next to each other, vertically or horizontally.
- The opponent chooses a piece from the pool, and gives it to the player.
- If a winner-row was made last turn, but overlooked, the player can win by saying Quarto out loud now.
- The player places the piece on the table next to one of the others, vertically or horizontally. It must be done so that all pieces are able to fit into a 4x4 grid.
- If that made a winner-row, the player wins by saying Quarto out loud.
- If the pool is empty now, the game is a draw.
Then it is the opponents turn. Proceed from bullet 2.
Example play
This is an imaginary game between Alice and Bob. Alice starts.
1: Two pieces are drawn at random, and placed on the table. (1)
The dashed circles show where it is possible to play the next piece.
2: Then Bob selects this piece 
and gives it to Alice. (2)
She plays it like this. (4)
3: Then Alice selects 
for Bob, that plays it like this. (2) (4)
4: Bob selects 
and Alice plays. (2) (4)
5: Alice selects 
and Bob plays. (2) (4)
6: Bob selects 
and Alice plays. (2) (4)
Note that this limits play upwards and downwards, because the four horizontal rows of the 4x4 grid are now decided.
7: Alice selects 
and Bob plays. (2) (4)
Thereby fully deciding the placement of the 4x4 grid.
Note that selecting a blue piece for the opponent is a loosing move now.
8: Bob selects 
and Alice plays. (2) (4)
By that it is a loosing move to select a holed piece for the opponent.
9: Alice selects 
and Bob plays. (2) (4)
10: Bob selects 
and Alice plays. (2) (4)
Note that Alice could not have played the piece in the upper right corner, because it is no pieces adjacent to it.
11: Alice selects 
and Bob plays. (2) (4)
12: Bob selects 
and Alice plays. (2) (4)
13: Alice selects 
and Bob plays. (2) (4)
Then Bob says "Quarto" out loud, and points to the third vertical row, and by that he wins the game. (5)
It is quite common that games are won because a winner-row is overlooked. It can be tricky to spot winner-rows, especially if you are new to the game.
Print PDF double sided (duplex, long-edge binding). If you print PNG you have to print the paper sheet two times.
