HT Games
Number of Players
The Countdown game is a head-to-head game. This means that only two players may play Countdown. If more players wish to play, arrange a tournament. Play two-player games, with the winners advancing to play against each other.
Object And How To Win
The goal of Countdown is to flip all 10 of your numbers to the up position before your opponent does. To do this, you must roll the numbers based on mathematical computations using addition, subtraction, division and multiplication.
Playing The Game
Players alternate rolling two dice. The player who rolls the dice then uses the two numbers rolled on the dice to flip one of his numbers up on his side of the player area. For example, if a player roles the numbers three and six he has several options. By adding them together he can flip the nine up on his playing area, subtracting three from six allows him to flip the three up. Dividing six by three would result in the two being flipped up. Only one of these options can be used on each roll, not all three. Multiplication is not an option in this situation as three times six is 18, which is higher than the highest number on the playing area--10.
Rolling an 11
Rolling an 11, a five and a six, in Countdown is considered a special role. A player only has two options with this combination. The first is subtraction, which would allow a player to flip the one on his playing area up. The second option is a powerful special ability--she can require her opponent to push all of his numbers back down, resulting in him having to start over.