In this article, you can read about the basic rules of the game Can’t Stop and learn how to play. The object of the game is to be the first player to win three different columns. You win a column by getting your cone to the top first.
Setup
Set out the board and each player chooses a set of colored cones. Place the dice and white runner cones by the board. The youngest player goes first then play proceeds clockwise. On your turn, roll all four dice. When you roll, you always roll all four dice at once. Once rolled pair the dice into two pairs however you like and then add the two dice in each pair together. The two sums determine which column or columns you must introduce a runner.
Place a white runner one space above your farthest advanced piece in that column for each different sum. If you have no pieces in that column then place the runner at the bottom first space of the column. If you already have a runner in the column, move that runner up one space.
Continue or Score
After each time you move or introduce runners you must decide whether you want to continue or score. If you choose to score, replace all the runners on the board with your cones removing the runners from the board. If the runner is in the same column as one of your cones, move that cone up and replace it with the runner.
Each player may only have one of their cones in each column. If you choose to continue, roll the four dice again and create pairs. If you form new sums from the pair’s and still have runners not in play, you must fill the new sums columns with the runners. You must always introduce the most runners possible with the sums you select. It is possible to choose to have two sums of the same number. When this happens, you will move a runner in that column twice.
Avoid Bust
Once all three runners are in play, each time you roll you must move at least one runner by creating a pair of dice for their column. if you can create sums for two columns you have runners in, both move up. If after a roll you cannot form sums from the dice to move any runners, then you bust. Remove the runners from the board you don’t score and it is now the next player’s turn.
When a runner reaches the top space of a column it cannot move anymore. If you risk another roll that would require it to move you will bust. The first player to score a cone on the numbered space at the top of a column wins that column. Remove all other cones from that column. No player including the column winner may put runners in this column for the rest of the game. As soon as a player wins his third column, the game ends immediately and he wins.
Game Variations
Some variations to the game you may play with but should agree to before you start the game are as follows:
Variation one: In a three-player game you must win four columns. In a two-player game, you must win five columns.
Variation two: You must form your dice pairs to introduce as many runners as possible as quickly as possible.
Variation three: You may not end your turn occupying the same space as an opponent. You must continue rolling until you bust or all spaces aren’t shared.
Variation four: For a faster game, runners can never occupy the same space as another cone instead, jump all cones in the way when moving up a column.
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