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Tock!
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A typical Tock board (click to enlarge).
(1): The track. (2): The center pile. (3):
Yellow's start area. (4): Yellow's post position, marked
'18'. (5): Yellow's home court. (6): Green's
discard pile.
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Tock is a traditional game widely played in the province
of Quebec. It's simple to learn, yet it can be quite addictive and
devastatingly brutal to play. I was introduced to the game by Bahá'í
friends in Victoriaville several years ago, and it quickly became
a favourite. The rules described on this page are "home-grown"
rules, and are not quite the "official" rules which are
generally included with the game when it's bought.
Goal - What you
need
Game play - Photos
Goal
The goal of the game of Tock is to be the first to
move one's pieces around the board into one's home court, using
playing cards to advance and perform several types of special moves.
What you need
- A deck of cards;
- Sets of coloured marbles;
- A Tock board;
- Attitude.
I bought my board and accessories at a dollar store in Drummondville,
Québec. You can get your own by looking online: Bô-Jeux
Games is a good place to try. They have several sizes and flavours
of tock boards, and the coloured marbles to go with it. Your local
specialty gaming shop may also have it.
Game play
Starting - Moving
- Variations
Starting
- Each player begins with four same-coloured marbles in
his start area (as shown above), and five cards
that are dealt to him.
- To bring a marble out onto the track, a player must have in
his hand an Ace (A) or a King
(K). On his turn, the player must play the card and place his
marble onto the post position (usually marked by an arrow
or "start"). If the player has no Ace or King in his
hand, he must discard and pick a new card until an Ace or King
turns up.
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Special Cards
- Ace (A)
- When starting: Brings a marble out of your start
area and onto your post position.
When moving: Moves one marble forward one (1).
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- King (K)
- When starting: Brings a marble out of your start
area and onto your post position.
When moving: Moves one marble forward thirteen (13),
'eating' every marble in its path - including your own.
- Joker
- When starting: Brings a marble out of your start
area and 'eats' another player's marble (unless his marble
is on its post position).
When moving: Moves one marble forward eighteen (18),
'eating' every marble in its path - including your own.
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- Jack (J)
- When moving: Moves one marble forward eleven
(11), OR exchanges with another player's marble (unless
his marble is on its post position).
- Four (4)
- When moving: Moves one marble BACKWARD four
(4).
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- Seven (7)
- When moving: Moves one or more marbles forward
a combined total of seven (7) spaces.
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Moving
- All players must keep five cards in their hands at all times,
and one card must be played or discarded at every turn.
- Play proceeds clockwise around the board (except when
a four (4) is used).
- Cards played are worth face value (A = 1, 2 = 2, ... 10 = 10,
J = 11, Q = 12, K = 13), and allows a player to move the marble
of his choice ahead the number of spaces indicated.
(Exceptions: four (4) and seven
(7) )
- If a marble lands on an occupied space, it displaces the other
marble and sends it back to its start area.
(Exceptions: a player may not displace one of his own
marbles; a player may not displace a marble that is on its post
position.)
- Generally, a marble may 'jump' over other marbles while moving,
regardless of colour. The exception is when another player's marble
is on its post position; in this case, no marbles may jump over
it.
- A marble enters its home court by reaching the space directly
below its home court, or the 'doorstep' (labeled '17' on the
board pictured above), and moving the required number of spaces
upwards.
- A marble may not enter another player's home court.
- Once a marble is inside its own home court, it cannot leave,
and can only go forward; if forward movement is impossible, that
marble cannot be moved.
Variations
- Fast-track: In this variation, a marble may use a four
(4) to back into its home court.
- Team Tock: In this variation, opposing players team up
to bring their team's marbles home.
- Lose A Turn: In this variation, playing a ten (10) exchanges
a player's marble with another player's marble, and a Jack (J)
causes the player whose turn is next to discard one card and skip
his turn.
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Photos: Tock in action
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A good hand for moving... a bad one for starting.
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Tock's got attitude!
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