Avalanche is a marble-based dexterity/strategy game published by Parker Brothers in 1966. Players launch marbles down an inclined plastic board equipped with pivoting gates. The marbles interact with the gates, which flip left or right as marbles pass through, determining whether subsequent marbles stop or continue. The game includes four different game variants (A through D) of increasing complexity.
Components
1 Inclined plastic board with a socket, dowel, and pivoting gates
Marbles in multiple colors (enough for each player to have a set)
Marble trays at the bottom of the board
Setup
Insert the dowel through the hole in the back of the board. Pull the cord down so the board is nearly horizontal when set on a table.
The gates on the board should be set at random; no gate should lean to its left or right. One player runs fingers lightly down the board to randomize gates.
Remove the bottom plastic rack from the board and fire the gates lightly so the marbles at the bottom fall to the table, then replace the rack.
Sort marbles by color into separate piles, one pile per player.
Turn Structure
Players take turns launching marbles from the top of the board. On your turn:
Place a marble in the socket at the top of the board.
Release it to roll down through the gates.
Observe where it comes to rest (either stopped by a gate or collected in a tray at the bottom).
Your turn ends when all marbles have settled.
Actions
The game has four variants:
A. Beginners Game
Can be played by children and adults once familiar with the board.
Follow the Standard Game rules below.
B. Standard Game
Each player fills their card slots with marbles matching the colors on the cards. The object is to fill the cards so the colors match.
Gates are separated according to color and placed in three rows. Each player selects a card.
Cards are mixed and spread out face down. Each player selects a card at random and places it face up in front of them.
A player takes a marble of any color, one at a time, through any of the holes at the top of the board. The player selects the marble which will match the colors on the cards. The first player to fill all slots wins.
C. Standard Game (with scoring)
When two or more persons are playing, each may choose two cards of desired colors. The object is for each player to fill two cards, and other rules remain as above.
When 4 persons are playing, you may play partnerships with each partner and each partner may play marbles onto either of the two partnership cards.
D. Expert Game
Each player takes a tray of marbles. In this game, colors do not matter and the cards are not used.
The first player takes eleven marbles; each other player takes thirteen.
To play a game around empty, the gains in random position.
To take a turn, a player drops marbles through the holes at the top of the board, one at a time, continuing until (1) one or more marbles fall to the bottom of the board, or (2) the player runs out of marbles. The first player on his first turn may drop no more than five marbles through the holes.
After one or more marbles have fallen to the bottom, the player’s turn ends. The first player is allowed to end his turn without any marbles falling if all five have lodged on the board.
A player must take all marbles that fall to the bottom of the board at the end of their turn. Marbles of other colors may be placed on the player’s card if they have space, but other marbles must be held and used on subsequent turns.
The winner is the first player to end a turn with all their marbles on the board in their hand or at the bottom. If a player has any such additional marbles after filling their card, they must continue to play until they can end a turn by dropping all marbles to the board through the holes.
Scoring / Victory Conditions
Beginners/Standard: First player to fill their card(s) with correctly colored marbles wins.
Expert: First player to get rid of all their marbles wins. A marble counts as “gone” if it is lodged on the board or placed on a completed card.
Special Rules & Edge Cases
Gates flip direction each time a marble passes through them, creating a dynamic, ever-changing board state.
In the Expert game, the first player may only drop a maximum of 5 marbles on their first turn.
Marbles that fall to the bottom must be collected by the active player, even if they did not launch those specific marbles.
Partnership play is available with 4 players (Standard game variant).
One partner can go to “0” marbles while the other partner keeps playing until both are empty.
If a player accidentally causes marbles to fall during an opponent’s turn, those marbles still count as falling during that turn.