BrettspielWelt

Can't Stop - Online Guide

Starting The Game

With /join 2-5 players can join the game. With /start the game begins. Alternatively, you can use the Game Tool!

Object of the Game

Can't stop is a simple, ingenious dice game, which is played with four dice. The die pips are added in two pairs, selected by the active player. The game board is a “STOP” - sign with eleven columns, which are represent the values “2” to “12”. These columns are different in length: the least frequent combinations 2 and 12 (1+1, 6+6) are the shortest columns with only three spaces, the most probable number the “7” using combinations (1+6, 2+5, 3+4) is 13 spaces long.

During each round, the active player has three markers available on the board. Once all three markers are in play, having selected certain dice combinations, you must always have at least one combination making one of the combinations denoted by the marker in order to continue. If you cannot assign a combination to one of your three active markers, then your turn is over.

If you feel that your odds are not good, you can stop anywhere you wish on the track; you can return to this track later, starting from where you left off. All columns can be played by all players. However, as soon as a route has been completed, it is closed off from all other players, which in turn then reduces the probability of achieving a valid combination with the dice.

Can't stop is all about risk management. It is sometimes more sensible to stop where you are as it may be risky to continue. However, the chance of completing a track is sometimes too seductive and you may risk everything to win.

Flow of the game

As soon as your turn begins, a picture like this should appear. The possible columns are highlighted to make a decision easier. One possible combination (as shown in the example being 1-4 and 5-5) is suggested by the software. This is not necessarily your best choice! In order to see another combination, move your mouse over the path of one of the highlighted columns. If for example you move your mouse over the #9 column, you will see the following image:

To select two columns, simply click on an empty space in the middle of the track of one of the two desired numbers. The other column is selected automatically and the active game markers move up accordingly. Alternatively you can click on the green "GO" sign. You can keep rolling like this at you rown risk. If you think it is more prudent to stop there and end your turn, click on the end of a column (where the dice are). Alternatively you can click on the red “STOP” sign (bottom right), to end your turn.

In this example you can see the three game markers (white cones) in play on columns 6, 7 and 9. The game markers always where you are allowed to play. You can only have a maximum of three game markers in play.

The player can still progress by using the combination 3+4 and 4+5. He can now decide whether to terminate his turn and hand the dice on to the next player or continue playing. In this example, since the player is currently using the 6, 7 and 9 tracks (these being high probability numbers with 2 dice), he could probably risk rolling again, since the probability of getting these numbers is quite high.

In this example the player can finish track #12 by using the 6+6 combination. He does this by clicking at the top of the track on the white 12. Alternatively he can click on the red "STOP' in the bottom right. You must make sure that you had selected the correct combination before you use this option!

Note: You should be aware that the game markers move as soon as you click on one of the tracks or a numbers at the end of a track (ending your turn). If one want to complete a track, you should do that, before you move to the top most place in a track. Otherwise your game marker may move to far and negate your possibility of completing that track, if you have no suitable combination in the next throw of the dice!

In the image opposite, the play is more advanced. Blue has already closed two tracks (#8 and #12) and is in the middle of the #6 track (the cones placed indicate the intermediate positions). Yellow has completed only one track (#10), however, it is his turn and is likely to close track #3. As blue is well placed on track #5, he decides to risk all and attempt to close track #5. However he does not have any more that two possible combinations, since 3 tracks are already finished and cannot be used any more. If he does not manage to score in the next throw (using a free combination), he would lose his interim position.

Tracks which are complete can no longer be used. This rule can be used to prevent yourself starting certain tracks strategically. In this example, the player could choose 1+4 and 6+6: since track #12 can no longer be used, he would only advance on track #5 using this combination leaving the other two game markers free for further dice rolls.

End of the Game

With the normal rules, the game ends as soon as 1 player closes/completes three tracks.

Game Options

unique

In this variation, each field can only occupied by one player. If one of the current game markers will finish on a location where someone else has ended their play, then the rules do not allow you to end your turn until this has been remedied. You will hear a warning signal if you attempt to stop in such a position. You MUST continue.

team

This is a four player variant where players 1 & 3 play against players 2 & 4. (You join the game in play order 1-3-2-4). The objective is for both teams to complete five columns as a team. One player must complete three columns. Then when his team has five or more columns, that team wins. If there are fewer than five columns complete then the opposing team wins. In this way it is a well balanced game, however, you must wait for you partner to catch up.

With three players there is a neutral orange colour, which all three players can play. The order of play is blue-orange-yellow-orange-green-orange, so that everyone plays the orange colour. To win you must have five or more columns combined with your colour and the neutral orange player.

With two players you can play any two colours.

match

With this variation you can set a target of the number of games a player must win to win the match.

Players names are displayed at the top of the screen. The right side of the score is #games won/#games needed to win. In this example ARMistice has 2/3 wins, while WerISts has yet to score.

When using the 'match' it is no longer necessary to join and start a new game. The next player to play simply clicks on the 'GO' symbol to continue onto the next game in the series. Exception: if you selected 'drawseat', the order of play is chosen at random.

dmtie

This option has been specially designed for tournaments, when it comes to classify all the participants. The ranking is based primarily on the number of columns earned. In the case of a tie, the winner is the player with the most additional spaces reached in each column. In columns where there is a tie, all the players concerned are credited.