PIPZERO

Overview

PIP Zero: Program. Contend. Decay. Zero. A low-component, high-stakes abstract puzzle where every move is a calculated risk. Your 4x4 grid is a ticking clock of 16 dice, each one a resource you must zero out. Program four cards to four columns, but only if you win the Initiative battle. Every Movement costs 1 pip. Every Diamond is a deadly 2 pip kill shot. Every Club is a precious moment of protection.

Master the column lock, anticipate your opponent's programming, and race to be the first to reduce your grid to nothing. Perfect for tactical players who enjoy deterministic logic and ruthless efficiency.

• Players: 1–2
• Play Time: 20–30 Minutes
• Ages: 10+
• 1 Standard 52-Card Deck
• 32 Dice (16 per player)
• 2 Player Grids (4x4) (optional)
• 1 First Player Marker (optional)

Setup

Each player places sixteen dice into a four by four grid using this pattern from top to bottom. (see player grid at end of directions)

• Column 1: 3, 6, 4, 5
• Column 2: 4, 5, 3, 6
• Column 3: 5, 4, 6, 3
• Column 4: 6, 3, 5, 4

Shuffle the deck and choose a starting player.

Game Structure

Each hand has multiple phases: Deal and Program, Initiative Reveal, Action Resolution, Cleanup.

Deal and Program

Review and select cards in your hand, assigning them face down as follows:

• Assign one card to Column 1
• Assign one card to Column 2
• Assign one card to Column 3
• The remaining card is placed face down to the side as your Initiative card

Initiative Reveal

Reveal card 4. Ace high to two low. Suits break ties in the order Spades, Hearts, Diamonds, Clubs. During actions resolution, only the Initiative winner will resolve Column 4. The loser discards their card without any resolution. Winning Initiative represents gaining a momentary advantage, allowing a player to trigger the fourth programmed action this hand.

Action Resolution

Resolve Columns 1, 2, 3, then Column 4 if you won Initiative. Boards never interact, so players may resolve simultaneously.

Targeting a Column

A card targets its assigned column. If that column is empty, shift right to the next non empty column. If none exist, the card fizzles.

Column Activation Limit

Each column may activate one die per hand. Once any die in that column has activated, the column becomes spent and cannot activate another die this hand. A spent column still contains dice and never causes a shift on its own. Shift occurs only when the assigned column contains no dice. When a shift occurs, the card moves to the next non empty column and obeys the activation limit in that new column.

Die Eligibility

A die may activate once per hand. If that die later moves to another column, it remains ineligible.

Selecting a Die

• Use only dice in the targeted column
• Use only dice that have not activated this hand
• Use the highest pip die that is resolvable

If no die is resolvable, the card fizzles.

Resolvable Die

A die is resolvable if the chosen action can be applied fully or partially without breaking any rule.

• Hearts on a five is allowed
• Diamonds on a one is allowed
• Movement requires a valid swap target
• Face cards (J,Q,K,A) must use their suit powers

Swap Movement (2-10 eligible)

Movement must involve two dice.

• The activated die swaps with a die to the right in the same row
• Swap distance is unlimited
• Empty spaces cannot be used

Swap sequence

• The dice exchange positions and keep their pip values during the exchange
• The activated die takes minus one pip decay
• The other die is unchanged

Suit Powers (all cards eligible)

• Hearts: plus two to maximum six
• Diamonds: minus two, remove at zero
• Spades: flip pairs one six, two five, three four
• Clubs: hold with no decay

Column 4

Only the Initiative winner resolves Column 4. It follows all normal targeting and eligibility rules.

Fizzles

A card fizzles if the column has dice but none are resolvable, or if shift cannot find a non empty column.

Cleanup

• Discard all cards
• If needed, shuffle and complete dealing
• Begin next hand

End of Game

• Elimination: remove all sixteen dice
• Two player deck timer: game ends after second deck exhaustion
• Solo deck timer: ends when last card of first deck is dealt

If ending by timer

• Most dice removed wins
• If tied, lowest pip total in 4th column wins
• If still tied, shared victory

Solo Mode

Solo mode plays the same as 2 Player with two modifications

• After you program all 4 cards, reveal the top card from undealt deck to determine initiative winner, highest card wins
• Adversary Favor: increase lowest pip die in Column 4 by one if you lose

Difficulty Variants

Easier

• Resolve all four cards (all players)
• Allow one extra shuffle

Hardcore

• Unresolved required suit powers add +1 to 2 of your lowest die in two columns (max two die, one per column)
• Diamonds reduce by one instead of two