Single Player Rules

The object of this game is to score as many points as possible by completing creatures! Once finished, check your score on our Octopus Genius Scale.

To play the single player game (or solo play), first shuffle all the tiles face down. Draw 6 tiles from the Tile Pile and expose them face up in front of you. Select one of these 6 tiles to be your Start Tile leaving you with 5 exposed tiles. This will be referred as ‘your hand’. See below for example …

You can only have up to 5 tiles exposed at anytime in your hand.

To start the game, play 1 tile on the exposed Start Tile and start building your “seascape”. Once you play a tile, draw a new tile from the Tile Pile to return your hand to 5 exposed tiles. Then go again!

Note: You may not move tiles once played. This game is played without the Octopus Action cards, so the tiles with Octopus Icons have no additional meaning or power.

Shown below: You play 2 tiles from your hand properly (creating the growing seascape), then draw 2 new tiles from the Tile Pile to return your hand to 5 tiles.

You’re trying to complete creatures since for every small creature completed you’ll earn 1 point, and for every large creature completed you’ll earn 2 points.

If you are unable to play, you have to discard 1 tile (choose carefully). Use the empty game box for your discard tiles. Then draw a new tile from the Tile Pile so you have 5 tiles in your hand again. Play resumes. Hopefully the tile you drew can be played. If not, you’ll have to discard another tile, then draw again.

Play until all the tiles in the Tile Pile have been played or discarded.

Playing Tiles Properly:

See the rules for the multi-player game for reference on how to play tiles properly. Tiles must be played in the same direction. You can only play vertically or horizontally on any tile already played. You can not play diagonally. Tiles must line up or fit naturally with the creature you are connecting to, meaning the creature(s) must match perfectly. You can not connect tiles just using the blue “water” side of the tile.

Locked Game:

If your seascape becomes “locked”, meaning no more possible plays, you can select one of the tiles from your hand and start a new seascape. In the end, count your points from both seascapes.

Scoring:

For each completed small creature (formed by perfect circle), you get 1 point. For each completed larger creature (formed by oval shape), you get 2 points.

Example: In the photo below, there are 6 total points showing in their ‘Seascape’. There are 2 larger creatures completed, worth 2 points each or 4 points. There are 2 smaller creatures completed or 1 point each or 2 points..

Octopus Genius Scale

Coming soon. Please send your high scores to [email protected]