Objective:
Be the first to help your cicada emerge at the right time by landing on prime-numbered years! Although Cicadas emerge every 13 or 17 years for the sake of the game and for the sake of practicing prime numbers we will assume that they emerge whenever you land on a prime number.
Setup:
- 2 to 4 players
- One game board (100 chart)
- Each player gets a cicada token (use coins, buttons, or any small objects)
- A six-sided die
- A Prime Number Reference Card (optional for younger players)
How to Play:
- Each player starts at year 1 (underground).
- On your turn, roll the die and move forward by that many years.
- If you land on a prime number (2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, etc.), your cicada emerges for that turn and you get a point.
- If you land on 13 or 17, you get a bonus turn (because cicadas love those numbers)!
- If you land on a non-prime number, your cicada stays underground. You must wait for your next turn to roll again. You can use your rolled number to go backwards in order to get to a prime number.
- The first player to reach 10 points wins!
Challenge Mode (Optional Rules):
- Predator Attack: If you land on a multiple of 6 (e.g., 6, 12, 18), a predator finds your cicada! One point gets taken from you.
- Swarm Advantage: If two players land on the same prime number, both get a bonus turn!
- Swarm Disadvantage: If they meet each other on any other number the last to get there gives a point to the one that was there first.
I Hope that you find this game useful. Let us know what you think.