Racetrack

Racetrack is a racing game (duh!) played on graph paper. I'm copying a bunch of this from wikipedia.

Sample track with the first few moves made by 2 players

On a sheet of graph paper, a freehand loop is drawn as the outer boundary of the racetrack. A large ellipse will do for a first game, but some irregularities make the game more interesting. Another freehand loop is drawn inside the first. It can be more or less parallel with the outer loop, or the track can have wider and narrower spots (pinch spots), with usually at least two squares between the loops. A straight line is drawn anywhere across the two loops. This is the starting and finishing line. Choose a direction for the race to be run, e.g., counter clockwise.

The order of players is agreed upon. Each player chooses a color or mark (such as x and o) to represent the player's car. Each player marks a starting point for his or her car - a grid intersection at or behind the starting line.

Last turn the player was at the point in the lower left. This turn he's at the center point. Next turn he has to be at one of the 9 points marked in the upper right.

All moves will be from one grid point to another grid point. Each grid point has eight neighbouring grid points: Up, down, left, right, and the four diagonal directions. Players take turns to move their cars according to some simple rules. Each move is marked by drawing a line from the starting point of this move to a new point.

Each player's first move must be to one of the eight neighbours of their starting position. (The player can also choose to go to the middle point.)

On each turn after that, the player can choose to move the same number of squares in the same direction as on the previous turn; the grid point reached by this move is called the principal point for this turn. (E.g., if the previous move was two squares to the left and four squares upwards, then the principal point is found by moving another two squares to the left and four more squares upwards.) However, the player also has the choice of any of the eight neighbours of this principal point.

Cars must stay within the boundaries of the racetrack; otherwise they crash.

The winner is the first player to complete a lap (cross the finish line).

The Track

The track doesn't have to be a closed curve. The starting and finishing lines could be different.

Before starting play, the players may go over the track, agreeing in advance about each grid point near the boundaries as to whether that point is inside or outside the track.

Alternatively, the track may be drawn with straight lines only, with corners at grid points only. This removes the need to decide dubious points. Players may or may not be allowed to touch the walls, but not to cross them.

The Moves

Instead of allowing moves to any of eight neighbours of the principal point, one may use the four neighbours rule, limiting moves to the principal point or any of its four nearest neighbours.

When drawing the track, slippery regions with oil spill may be marked, wherein the cars cannot change velocity at all, or only according to the four neighbours rule. The rules applies when a car's principle point ends in the slipper region.

On the track there may be also some turbo areas marked with an arrow with a specific length and direction. When a vehicle goes through this area, the principal point is moved as indicated by the arrow.

Collisions and Crashes

Usually, cars are required to stay on the track for the entire length of the move, not just the start and end. On heavily convoluted racetracks, allowing the line segment representing a move to cross the boundary twice (with start and end points inside the track), some unreasonable shortcuts may be allowed.

Several cars may be allowed to occupy the same point simultaneously. However, the most common and entertaining rule is that while the line segments are allowed to intersect, a car cannot move to or through a grid point that is occupied by another car, as they would collide.

If a player is unable to move according to these rules, the player has crashed. A crashed car may leave the game, or various systems for penalizing crashes can be devised.

A player running off the track may be allowed to continue, but is required to brake and turn around, and re-enter the track again crossing the boundary at a point behind the point where it left. At high speeds, this will take a considerable number of moves.

Another possibility is to penalize a car with “damage points” for each crash. E.g., if it runs off the track or collides, it receives 1 damage point for each square of the last movement, and comes to an immediate stand-still. A car with 5 damage points, say, cannot run anymore.

Good Brakes

Using “good brakes” will slow a car down by two squares instead of just one. However, good brakes wear out and can only be used two times in a race.

Turbo Boost

Using “turbo boost” allows a car to speed up by two squares instead of just one. However, like good brakes, they wear out and can only be used two times in a race.

Checkpoints

Mark groups of graph points as “checkpoints” and number them. You have to make the path your car travels go through the checkpoints in order.

Finding a Winner

At the end of the game, one may complete a round. E.g., with three players A, B and C (starting on that order), if B is the first to cross the finish line, C is allowed one more move to complete the A-B-C cycle. The winner is the player whose car is the greatest distance beyond the finish line.

If the collision rule mentioned above is used, there is still a considerable advantage in moving first. This may be partially counterbalanced by having the players choose their individual starting points in reverse order. E.g., first C chooses a start point, then B, then A. Then, A makes the first move, followed by B, then C.

Another possible rule is to let the loser move first in the next game.

• You can find more rules and options at the wikipedia page
• A pdf explanation
• An annotated game
• Play online
• Graph Racers with more optional rules