Ingenious

Overview

Players place double-hex tiles onto a hexagonal board, scoring points in six colors by creating lines of matching symbols radiating from the placed tile. The twist: your final score is determined by your lowest-scoring color. The player whose lowest color is highest wins. If tied, compare next-lowest, and so on.

Components

1 Game board (with areas marked for 2, 3, and 4 players)
120 Tiles (double-hex tiles with color symbols)
1 Cloth bag
4 Tile racks
4 Score boards
24 Color pegs (6 colors per player)

Setup

Lay out the board.
Put all tiles in the bag and shuffle.
Each player takes 1 score board and places 1 peg of each of the 6 colors in the starting position (value 0).
Each player takes 1 rack, draws 6 tiles from the bag, and places them on the rack (hidden from other players).

Board size by player count:

2 players: use only white spaces
3 players: white + light grey spaces
4 players: entire board

Turn Structure

The youngest player begins. Play proceeds clockwise. On your turn:

Play One Tile: Choose a tile from your rack and place it on any two connected empty spaces on the board. In the first round, each player must play adjacent to a different one of the 6 symbols already printed on the board.
Score Your Tile: For each of the two symbols on the tile, count matching symbols in each of the five lines radiating outward from that symbol. Stop counting in a line when you reach an empty space or a different symbol. Do NOT count the symbol on the tile itself. Advance the corresponding color peg on your score board by the total count. Then score the second symbol similarly.
Bonus Play (if applicable): If any peg reaches the final space (value 18), call out “Ingenious!” and immediately play another tile from your rack before drawing. Multiple bonus plays can chain.
Refresh Your Hand: Draw tiles from the bag to refill your rack to 6 tiles.

Actions

Playing a Tile

Place on any two connected empty hex spaces.
First round: must be adjacent to one of the 6 pre-printed board symbols (each player uses a different one).

Scoring

5 lines radiate from each hex of the placed tile.
Count consecutive matching symbols in each line (stop at gaps or mismatches).
Maximum score per color: 18 (pegs cannot advance beyond this).

Swapping Tiles

Before refreshing your hand, if your rack contains none of the color(s) currently in lowest position on your score board, you may:
1. Show all tiles to other players.
2. Return all tiles to the bag.
3. Draw 6 new tiles.

Instant Win

In the very rare case that a player advances all 6 color pegs to 18, that player wins immediately.

Scoring / Victory Conditions

When no further tiles can be played, the game ends.
Each player’s score = their lowest color peg position.
The player with the highest lowest-color score wins.
Tiebreaker: compare next-lowest color, then the next, and so on.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

Pegs cannot exceed value 18. Any excess points in that color are lost.
Bonus plays trigger each time any peg reaches 18 (even if it already reached 18 previously via the partnership variant).
Swapping tiles is optional and only allowed when your rack has none of your lowest-scoring color(s).
First round placement must be adjacent to a pre-printed symbol; each player picks a different one.

4-Player Partnership Variant

Players sitting opposite each other form a team.
Use a double-length score board (two boards placed together, max 36 per color).
Both partners score on the joint board.
No communication allowed between partners (or agree to open communication).
When a peg reaches 18 on the first board, it moves to 0 on the second board (still triggers a bonus play).

Solitaire (1 Player)

Use white spaces only, double-length score board.
No rack used: draw one tile, play it, score it, draw the next.
No bonus plays in solitaire.
Try for the highest score when no more tiles can be placed.

Player Reference

Player Count	Board Spaces Used
1-2	White only
3	White + light grey
4	All spaces

Scoring: Your result = your lowest color peg value. Highest lowest wins.

Key numbers: 6 colors, max 18 per color, 6 tiles on rack, 120 tiles total.