Hippos & Crocodiles is a two-player abstract strategy game where players place animal-shaped pieces on a board, trying to leave their opponent without any legal moves. The game features unique piece shapes – hippos and crocodiles – that occupy multiple squares.
Components
1 Board (either 20x10 “river” or 14x14 “lake” configuration)
Hippo pieces (for one player)
Crocodile pieces (for the other player)
Setup
The game begins with an empty board. The first player selects their animal type (hippos or crocodiles) and places their initial piece.
Turn Structure
The second player may accept the first player’s choice of animal or swap sides and take the first move.
Players alternate turns, placing one of their pieces on the board each turn.
No piece can overlap another piece already on the board.
Actions
Place a piece: On your turn, place one of your animal pieces on the board in any legal position (no overlapping).
Scoring / Victory Conditions
The game ends when one player has no space on the board to place their piece. That player loses. The opponent with available moves remaining wins.
Special Rules & Edge Cases
The swap rule (second player may take over the first player’s position) helps balance first-player advantage.
The two board configurations (river 20x10 and lake 14x14) offer different strategic experiences.
No piece may overlap any other piece already placed on the board.