Knockabout

About this board game

Knockabout is a two-player abstract board game that plays in about 20 minutes, with each player maneuvering dice across a hexagonal board to push the opponent’s pieces into the outer ring.

Each player controls nine pieces made from 4-, 6-, and 8-sided dice. A die moves in a straight line, traveling as far as the number shown on its top face. This creates a shifting tactical puzzle in which positioning and movement values constantly affect the strength of each piece.

• Move dice in a straight line according to their top-face numbers.
• Push pieces when they collide, whether they belong to you or your opponent.
• Reroll the last die to move as a result of a collision.
• Knock pieces into the outer ring to eliminate them from the game.

Collisions are central to Knockabout. Whenever a die is hit by other pieces, friendly or opposing, the last die moved because of that collision is rerolled. Players can gently bump their own pieces to seek higher numbers, while also disrupting opposing positions and limiting the movement available to enemy dice.

Pieces pushed into the outer ring are eliminated, but their former locations still matter: they can prevent future pieces from being knocked into the same spot. The first player to knock five of the opponent’s nine pieces into the outer ring wins.

With its combination of direct movement, dice values, collisions, and positional sabotage, Knockabout rewards careful maneuvering as much as aggressive play. Published in 2001, it offers a compact contest built around making every push count.