# SOS — write S or O, make SOS

- From: SOS, a pencil-and-paper game
- Players: 2 players
- Time: 5–8 min
- Made by: Traditional

Made with boardgameBuilder 0.14.4. To design from it, open boardgameBuilder and choose Open game: its blocks go on the canvas, and the feelings are left for you to pick.

Players take turns writing an S or an O in an empty square. Make S-O-S in a line and you score and go again. Every letter you write may also set up your opponent.

## What it shows a designer

Both players write the same letters, so anything you write can help your opponent. It shows how shared pieces create tactics of giving and avoiding.

## What you need

- paper
- a pen each

## How to play

1. **Grid.** Draw a grid of 4 by 4 squares.
2. **Write a letter.** Toss a coin to see who starts. On your turn, write S or O in any empty square. You may choose a different letter each turn.
3. **Score.** If your letter completes S-O-S in a straight line, across, down or diagonally, you score a point for each new SOS and take another turn.
4. **Full grid.** When every square is filled, the higher score wins. Equal scores are a draw.
5. **Careful.** An S, an O and an empty square in a line, or two S's with an empty square between them, is a gift to your opponent.

## After playing, talk about

- When did you write a letter only to avoid giving a gift?
- Did the extra turn after scoring change the game?
- How did the end feel when every square left was dangerous?

## Where the rules are written down

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SOS_(paper-and-pencil_game)
- https://www.braingle.com/games/paper-pencil/5/sos.html

## Its blocks

- Core mechanic: pattern building
- Victory condition: most points
- Player interaction: indirect via board
- Chance or skill: mostly skill
- Theme: abstract
- Information visibility: full information
- Timing: take turns

## Saved state

boardgameBuilder reads this part back when the file is opened.

```json
{"mechanics": {"core-mechanic": ["pattern-building"], "victory-condition": "most-points", "player-interaction": "indirect-via-board", "chance-skill": "mostly-skill", "information": "full-information", "theme": "abstract", "timing": ["take-turns"]}, "chosenFeelings": [], "previousMechanics": {}, "previousFeelings": [], "turnNumber": 0, "locked": false, "turnHistory": [], "answers": {}, "tests": {}}
```