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Icehouse box art
1989 Ranked #5,006

Icehouse

A real-time abstract game where players place pieces freely in attacking or defending positions without turns. Scoring waits until time or pieces run out, rewarding safe defenders and successful attackers built under pressure.

Abstract Abstract Strategy Real-time Containers: Tubes

Players

3-5

Play time

Not listed

Age

8+

Complexity

2.6/5

Rating

6.62

Harder to teach Highly interactive Deep strategy

Overview

At a glance

Is this game right for my group?

ABG editorial scores on a 1–5 scale.

Teachability 2.4/5

Harder to teach

Replay value 4.0/5

High replayability

Interaction 3.8/5

Highly interactive

Player scaling 4.4/5

Scales well

Strategic depth 4.7/5

Deep strategy

See all 5 specifications

How it plays

How does it play?

This is the game that introduced Icehouse Pieces. In December 1989, an initial test run of 100 Icehouse sets were made and sold, packaged in black boxes.

Read the full game description

This is the game that introduced Icehouse Pieces. In December 1989, an initial test run of 100 Icehouse sets were made and sold, packaged in black boxes. Later, a few more of these handmade sets were produced, but in very limited quantities. This game doesn't use turns, or rounds, or anything else to break up the action. Players place their pieces as quickly or slowly as they like, in attacking or defending positions. Only when time runs out or when everyone has used up all their pieces is the game scored, with people getting points for their safe defenders and successful attackers.

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Editions

Language and publisher variants currently recorded in the catalog.

Edition Year Language Publisher / Region
No editions imported yet.

Player resources

Rulebooks, player aids, FAQs, and solo resources.

No files imported yet.

Game and edition data

All specifications (5)

Play and group

Players
3–5
Best with
3–5
Play time
20 min
Age
8+
Complexity
2.6/5
Credits and catalog connections

Credits

Designers

2
John Cooper Andrew Looney

Publishers

3
Crystal Caste IcehouseGames Looney Labs

Linked items

No published linked games yet.