X-Bugs

About this board game

X-Bugs is a two-player, 30-minute tabletop battle inspired by classic tiddlywinks, where genetically modified earth insects confront alien bugs and defend their bases.

Each army commands three bases and a collection of soldier insects, represented by winks with different shapes, sizes, and special abilities. To capture an opposing insect, an insect must stop over it. Bases are captured when an opposing insect stops over them for the second time, making positioning and repeated attacks central to the conflict.

At the start of every turn, each army rolls three six-sided creature dice. The results determine which kinds of insects may move, creating changing movement options throughout the game. Losing a base also means losing a die, reducing the army’s mobility; losing a second base eliminates that army from the game.

• Classic tiddlywinks foundation: Use physical flicking and carefully position insect pieces across the battle.
• Creature dice: Roll three dice each turn to determine which insect types can move.
• Special abilities: Some insects can mimic, move twice, or fire weapons such as missiles and acid spits, which are also represented by winks.
• Expandable armies: Sets contain two armies, with separate color versions available so identical forces can face one another.

The game features six armies: USArthropods, Flyborgs, Sovietoptera, Chitinians, Samurachnids, and Bifids. Four armies were published in the United States, while the Samurachnids versus Bifids set was not published there as of August 2007.

Each set provides enough pieces for two players, and combining sets allows games for up to 12 players. With its alien-insect theme, dice-driven movement, and tactile capture system, X-Bugs turns a familiar classic into a lively battle for survival. It was later reimplemented as Micro Mutants: Evolution.