For tips on how to play mattock, see Tips_mattock

THE RULES ARE CONFUSING WITHOUT ILLUSTRATIONS. WATCH THE VIDEO OR READ THE ILLUSTRATED RULES

Summary and Links

• In Mattock, you play miners digging corridors through the rock.
• You can’t dig too closely together though, or the mine will collapse.
• The last player who is able to mine wins.
• Mattock's rules are best with illustrations.
• 3-minute rules video.

Goal

• Trap your opponent so they run out of space to mine.

Player Turn

THE RULES ARE CONFUSING WITHOUT ILLUSTRATIONS. WATCH THE VIDEO OR READ THE ILLUSTRATED RULES

• Each player starts with 3 miners on specific places on the board.
• On your turn, take these 3 steps in order:

Mine

• Place 1 tile on an open space connected to one of your miners by an unbroken series of tiles.
• Opponent miners block connections.
• No tile on the board may touch more than 3 other tiles. So the tile you place must not touch:
  • more than 3 other tiles; or
  • a tile which already touches 3 other tiles.

• If you have any miners which were removed on previous turns, place 1 of them on this tile.
• If you cannot Mine, you lose the game.

THE RULES ARE CONFUSING WITHOUT ILLUSTRATIONS. WATCH THE VIDEO OR READ THE ILLUSTRATED RULES

Move

• You may choose to move any 1 of your miners to a tile connected to it.
• You do not have to move.
• You may move through your own miners, but opponent miners block your path.

Remove

• Remove all opponent miners that are now both:
  • not connected to another opponent miner;
  • connected to 2 or more of your miners.

BASICALLY: Any miner that's alone in enemy territory gets removed.

• Your opponent takes the removed miner(s) and will place 1 back on the board on their turn.
• Never remove your own miners on your turn.

THE RULES ARE CONFUSING WITHOUT ILLUSTRATIONS. WATCH THE VIDEO OR READ THE ILLUSTRATED RULES